Help Me Help You
by Haruka-Chan 212
Summary: Quinn and Rachel are the best of friends during senior year at McKinley. Rachel is dating Finn, but he's been pressuring her for more. Quinn's a single mother who works full-time, goes to school full-time, plus maintains her own apartment, she barely has time for friends let alone more. Eventual Faberry romance, Pezberry/Quintanna friendships. Mentions of Brittana and Finchel.
1. Chapter 1

**_Little bit of a change of pace for me. I don't have a lot of this planned out, it's mostly just me going with the flow to see what happens. I'm already 75% through chapter 4. Figured since I'm far enough along I'd go ahead and post it._**

**_Most of my stories consist of some kind of angst that one of the characters has to overcome. This really doesn't have that in this story._**

**_Let me know what you think. Ideas are welcome, what would you like to see them deal with/handle/anything like that._**

**_Oh, and I don't like Finn, so this will have some Finn bashing in it :)_**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 1_**

It was just like any other day. Morning, that is. Quinn rushed around in her little apartment on the south side of town to gather all of her school supplies, as well as all of Beth's belongings for the day. "Where in the world are your diapers?" She turned to look at the nearly two year old, as if she would somehow magically respond to her with the answer to her question. "We're running late baby girl." She picked up her daughter, slung the diaper bag over her shoulder and reached for her backpack. Upon lifting the blue bag from the floor, a small package of diapers fell over.

_Thank God._ She thought to herself. At least now, she didn't have to make a stop before dropping Beth off at her mother's – effectively making her late to school. She placed Beth back onto the floor and grabbed a handful of the diapers to shove into Beth's bag before gathering her daughter in her arms again and heading toward the front door. As she normally did, she stopped at the door and surveyed the items in her hands. After deciding she had everything, she slipped on her sneakers and made her way out the door and to her car.

Quinn placed the bags on the ground beside the back seat of her car before unlocking the door. "Ready to go see Grammy baby?"

The young girl's face lit up with excitement and she allowed her mom to buckle her into her seat. "Gammy!" She continued chanting as she bounced in her car seat. Her simple antics drew a laughter from Quinn.

"And guess what honey?"

"What?"

"Daddy's picking you up after school and you're spending all weekend with him."

Beth's eyes lit up and she squealed excitedly. The girl definitely loved her dad. "Daddy, yay!" She continued bouncing in her chair, this time, clapping her hands as she did.

Quinn smiled warmly at her daughter. How had she ever even considered giving her up for adoption? She'd never understood why the thought had even crossed her mind. Seeing how Beth was growing up so quickly – remembering her first steps – her first words. Quinn wouldn't trade any of that for the world. If she were to be honest with herself, having lost her relationship with her father had been worth it. Being raised as part of such a closed-minded society had driven Quinn into a depression. She never felt that she could truly be happy.

While growing up, she was forced to be who they wanted her to be – molded to be the 'perfect daughter.' She swore to herself when she was younger, that she would never subject her own children to the same criticisms she was brought up with. She was taught to judge those who were different – that nobody was on the same level as she was. But once she fell pregnant from a drunken one night stand with Noah Puckerman – her entire world had changed. She became a victim of the same preaching she'd been raised to believe and live by. To this day, Quinn never fully understood how her father could make so many mistakes and be forgiven by God, but she made one mistake and nobody in her family would forgive her.

Except her own mother.

After Quinn was kicked out of her home, her mother had eventually come around. She saw Russell for what he really was and kicked him to the curb. Judy begged and pleaded for Quinn's forgiveness. And earned it. Over time, Quinn saw her mother the way she'd always seen her whenever her father wasn't around – loving and caring. Judy loved Beth from the moment she was born and insisted on watching her every day so Quinn could continue going to school and earning her degree.

Quinn finished loading the bags into the car before she climbed into the driver's seat to make her way across town to her mom's house. During the entire ride, Beth continued bouncing in her seat. Quinn loved it whenever Beth was so excited about something. Most of the time, it involved cartoons, candy, or Puck. Her daughter definitely had Puck's genes when it came to how easily amused she could be. But Quinn didn't mind to be honest, she loved her no less because of it. To Quinn, her daughter was perfect.

"Gammy's house!" Beth announced when Judy's house came into view, and continued to announce as Quinn pulled into the driveway behind her mom's car.

Just as Quinn started getting out of the car, she saw the front door swing open and Judy came out to meet her. "Hey mom." She barely looked up as she opened the back door to unhook her daughter from her car seat. She barely got Beth's straps unhooked before the little girl climbed out of the car and ran toward Judy, only to fall to her knees in the grass. "Be careful Beth." Quinn just shook her head as the little blonde girl laughed and stood up to continue her trek to her grandmother.

"Good morning Quinnie, I was starting to think you weren't coming this morning." The older woman happily picked up her granddaughter. "Well hello there honey. Aren't you looking especially cute this morning." She placed several kisses to the little girl's cheeks, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.

"Well, let's just say she figured out how to open her sippy cup this morning, and dumped her juice all over herself. So, she got an impromptu bath this morning. Which is why we're running late." Quinn pulled the bag from the back seat before pushing the door shut and approaching her mom. "Are you gonna be good for Grammy today?" Beth nodded, with a huge smile on her face. "Alright, come here and give mommy a hug and kiss." Quinn held her arms out to her daughter, who quickly accepted the offer and allowed herself to be pulled away from Judy. "Mommy loves you Beth. You be good for Grammy. And you be good for daddy this weekend. You know I'm going to call daddy to check up on you."

"Yea. Love you mommy." She wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck and hugged her tightly, then wiggled out of her arms to get back to her grandmother.

"Puck should be here after school to pick her up. Will you call me when he does? Sometimes he forgets."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Honey, it's the same thing every other weekend. I know he forgets. And I always call you after she leaves with him."

Quinn blushed – she couldn't help but to worry. Now that she was a mother, she was finally understanding what her own mother had always said about worrying so much. "I'm just making sure. I'd stay to talk some more, but I need to go. I'll just barely make it to school. Love you mom."

"I love you too Quinnie." She leaned in to kiss her daughter's cheek moments before she hurried back to her car. "Wave by to mommy, Beth." She picked up the girl's hand and helped her to wave at the teenager.

A genuine smile overtook Quinn's face as she blew her daughter a kiss. She turned her head around to watch behind her as she backed out of her mom's driveway and sped toward the school.

Once she was there, the only parking spot she could find was near the back of the parking lot. _Great, now she'd never make it to class on time._ She threw it into park barely after coming to a stop and flung her door open. There was one thing Quinn hated, and that was being late for anything. It came from years of 'training' from Russell, as well as years spent under Sue Sylvester's wrath. She reached into the back seat to grab her backpack. After locking the car door, she sprinted into the building just as the first bell rang. _Five minutes._ At least her locker was just down the hall from her homeroom class.

"Hey Quinn." Santana called out to her friend as she ran by her.

"Morning San. Can't talk. Gonna be late." She spoke in passing, between heavy breaths of air.

Santana only laughed at her friend before hooking her arm with Brittany and continuing down the hallway to their first class of the day.

Quinn made it to her locker and quickly put in her combination. After the door was open, she unzipped her backpack and pulled out her binder and math book, then shoved the bag into the small locker. She grabbed her history book as well before slamming the door shut and hurrying down the hallway. Just as she entered her AP Calculus class, the late bell rang. She breathed a sigh of relief as she slumped down into her normal chair next to one of her best friends.

"Good morning Quinn. You're looking a little flustered this morning."

"Could have sworn I was going to be late." She opened up her binder to pull out the worksheet they'd had for homework the night before.

"Is everything alright? You're never late."

"Beth figured out how to open her sippy cup this morning. Juice… everywhere…" Quinn threw her tablemate a warning glare before continuing, "don't laugh Rachel, it wasn't really that funny." _Although to Beth, it was outright hilarious to see mommy so upset._

"She's only two Quinn, I'm sure it was bound to happen." Rachel grabbed the worksheet from Quinn and placed it with her own before passing them toward the front of the classroom. "I can only begin to imagine how upset you were at her."

"I can't stay mad at her though… I wanted to, hell I even tried to. But the minute she started laughing, I couldn't do it. I scolded her for it, but just hearing her laughing warms my heart."

Quinn's statement brought a megawatt smile to Rachel's face. She knew exactly what Quinn meant. Ever since Beth was born, Rachel had been one of the few people who didn't turn their back on the blonde. Rachel was one of the few people who helped Quinn every time she needed it. Even if it was to run to the store for her, for a pack of diapers because she'd forgotten. Rachel, Santana, and Brittany – not including Judy since she was Quinn's family – were the only people who seemed to help her out. Puck helped when he could, and always stayed true to his word to take Beth every other weekend. But Beth spent almost all of her time with Quinn.

"Are you still coming to Santana's party tonight?"

Quinn glanced at her friend before flipping open her textbook. "I won't be there until a little bit later. I have to work until ten tonight. I'll have to go home and shower first."

"I can meet you at your apartment. We can go together."

This drew Quinn's attention. "Aren't you going with Finn?" She knew the couple had been having some problems as of late, but Rachel never fully disclosed the reasons for their problems – not yet at least.

"He's going, just on his own…" Rachel turned her attention to the teacher at the front of the room. It was a silent plea that Quinn knew all too well to just let that topic fall.

So she did.

"Okay, come over about 10:30 or so. I should be just about done then."

"Miss Fabray, Miss Berry… is my lesson interrupting your conversation?"

Rachel's cheeks grew a deep red color in embarrassment. Quinn could only smirk at her friend, then at the teacher. "Not at all ma'am. We were just finishing up." Her comment drew a little bit of laughter from a few other students. The teacher though, did not look impressed.

Without another word to the pair, she turned back to the whiteboard and continued her lesson for the day.

"We'll talk later Rach." Quinn nudged the brunette before finally picking up her pencil to take some notes.

* * *

"Quinn! I need you to lock up tonight!" An older man called back into the kitchen to the blonde. "I trust you can handle it."

Quinn smiled at her boss. "Of course I can Scott. I've done it before." She accepted his set of keys and reached under her shirt to hook them onto her bra strap, keeping them secure for the remainder of her shift.

"Thanks Quinn, keep this up, and I'll look into that promotion we talked about last week." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before smiling down at her.

"Can I just call my friend real quick to let her know I'm gonna be here a little longer?"

"Sure, go for it. Shop's closed. You know I don't really care when there's no customers around." He pulled off his apron before throwing it into the hamper in the back to be dealt with in the morning. "I'll see you Sunday morning Quinn. Make sure everything's locked up alright?"

"Got it Scott, thank you." She reached into her apron pocket for her cell phone. She wiped some flour off of her hand before unlocking the screen. She scrolled through her contacts until she spotted Rachel's name and hit the call button. Quinn tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder before going back into the office to finish up some evening paperwork.

"Hello Quinn."

"Hey Rach. I'm going to be here a little bit later than I thought. Scott wants me to close up tonight. Why don't you go ahead and head over to Santana's and I'll just meet you there."

"I… I kind of don't want to see Finn alone. That's why I wanted to go with you."

Quinn frowned. She really wished that Rachel would just tell her what was going on between her and her boyfriend. "Well, you could come and keep me company while I finish off here. Scott won't mind. He knows I'd never let anybody in here that would hurt the place."

"I don't want you getting in trouble Quinn."

"I won't… Please? It's actually kind of lonely here all by myself." Quinn made herself comfortable at the desk to file away some orders they'd filled that day and pull some order forms to be filled first thing in the morning.

"Fine. Give me about fifteen minutes."

Rachel didn't even say bye to her before she hung up the phone. That worried Quinn to no end. Rachel usually wasn't one to hide things from her. Whatever it was, it was big, and it was obviously tearing Rachel apart from the inside out.


	2. Chapter 2

**_It would appear as though I have my own personal troll that's followed me over from The First 24 to this story. I kind of find it amusing, at the same time infuriating. If you hate what I write so much, why do you continue to read it? It really has me close to the point where I'm going to turn off anonymous reviews. But, at the same time, that's not fair to the other legitimate people who simply choose to not sign up for an account._**

**_With that said, I wish to address another review I received about Quinn living in an apartment at the age of 18. It happens. People can get emancipated from their parents when they're 16 or so. I'll address it further on in the story. But think about Quinn's personality. It fits. Her living on her own is kind of a slap to everybody who thought she couldn't do it._**

**_Alright, so I'm already into chapter 6 of this story. I close tonight at work and open tomorrow. So more than likely the next chapter update will be tomorrow or Sunday. Glad to see such an amazing outpouring of support and likes for this story :) Keep it up people. I love when people (for the most part) like what I write. It keeps me motivated to continue what I'm doing._**

**_One more thing. Anybody who also reads The First 24, that story is NOT going to be forgotten. I'm still working on it, slowly though, but I am working on it, I swear. With that said now, enjoy chapter 2 :D_**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 2_**

Quinn had all but lost herself in the closing paperwork. It was mundane and Quinn felt like she could do it in her sleep. So, as always, she just pushed her way through it, all the while, her mind wandered. True, she'd noticed the change in the way Rachel and Finn interacted. There was something different about them over the past two weeks or so. She'd yet to be able to put her finger on it though. Quinn cared deeply for Rachel – not so much for Finn – so Rachel being so upset was upsetting her. She knew, in time, the brunette would eventually confide in her. But, until then, she simply had to wait and offer her comfort and support whenever Rachel truly needed it.

She was just finishing up filing the last of the order forms when her phone started to vibrate across the wooden desk. Without even looking at the screen, she swiped her finger across it and lifted it to her ear, "hello?"

"I'm here. And I must say, I feel really strange just standing outside of this place when it's closed. These people across the street keep watching me."

Quinn started laughing, "alright, I'm coming up to let you in." She ended the call as she pushed herself away from the desk to stand up. She smiled when the front windows came into view and Rachel started waving at her. She pulled the keys out from under her shirt and unlocked the door. "Come on in." Once Rachel was through the doorway, Quinn locked it behind her. "Are you gonna tell me what's going on with Finn?"

"It's complicated." Rachel watched Quinn's facial expression. She could tell the blonde wasn't done with her questions yet and she sighed. "It's just a long story Quinn."

"Hm, I've got time. I still have to pull the orders for tomorrow morning." Quinn smiled smugly at her friend before leading her back into the office. Rachel immediately sat down on one of the chairs along the wall. "Obviously there's something wrong Rach. You haven't really been yourself for about two weeks."

"He wants to have sex with me…" Rachel bit her lower lip before looking down at the tile floor. She heard Quinn huff some, amusement it seemed. She could also feel the blush creeping to her cheeks. Rachel never once dreamed that she would be having that conversation with anybody, let alone with a girl who once hated every fiber of her being.

Quinn arched an eyebrow at Rachel before shaking her head. "Don't do it Rachel, it's not worth it."

"But I love him."

"What ever happened to Rachel Berry's 'no sex until 25' rule. And I certainly haven't seen any Tony awards on your shelf at home yet."

"That's what I've told him… wait, how do you remember that? I told you that over two years ago. While you and Santana were yelling at me about being a prude."

Quinn cringed. "Apparently I'm not the only one with an impeccable memory. Listen Rachel, you have to be 100 percent certain before you do anything like that… just look at Beth." She looked up from her paperwork and right at Rachel. It was obvious to the blonde, that the gears in Rachel's head were now working. She was thinking about what Quinn had just told her. "I know how much you love Beth, but do you really want a Beth of your own right now? Look at how much my life has changed simply from a one night stand with Puck."

"He keeps telling me that it's alright, and that he'll wait for me. And then a few days pass, and we're together alone, and he starts on it again. I don't know what to do Quinn."

"Rachel, if he can't respect your wishes, then you need to leave him. You're honestly too good for him. Just like I was always too good for him. But, I was blinded at the time and didn't listen to Santana."

"What does Santana have to do with anything?"

Quinn smirked yet again. "All of her nicknames for him? Started while I was dating him. She saw how much of a 'brainless meat sack' he truly was. I didn't actually see it until after we broke up. The same goes for you, you won't see him for what he really is until you're not with him anymore."

"Are you telling me to break up with him?" Rachel's brows furrowed in confusion as she looked right into Quinn's eyes.

The blonde shook her head before standing up – having just pulled the last order for the next day. "What I'm telling you, is that you really have to think about it. I don't know every little detail about your relationship with him – nor do I want to, to be perfectly honest," Rachel laughed softly, "But you really need to think about it. Is he the one you want to lose your virginity to? Do you feel like you have that much of a connection with him that you can do that with him, wake up the next morning, and not regret everything?"

Rachel just looked down at the floor again. She'd become so lost in her own thoughts about Finn that she didn't realize Quinn was stepping closer to her. When a hand came in contact with her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin. "I do love him… but I'm not ready."

"Then you need to tell him that." Come on, I need to shower before we head over to Santana's party.

* * *

Rachel had followed Quinn from the café back to her apartment building. She parked behind the blonde on the street before following her into the building. "He texted me asking where I was at."

Quinn huffed in annoyance, "honestly Rach, if he really cared, he would have picked you up to take you himself."

The brunette sighed as she followed her friend up the staircase and then into her apartment. "I know." It was all she could say. What Quinn had said to her was still playing heavily on her mind. She was starting to wonder how much Finn actually did love her. Quinn was right. If Finn really did love her, he would respect her wishes. But, on the flip side of that, Rachel understood that everybody had needs. Hell, even she had needs. But she was scared. Looking at Quinn, she slept with Puck one time, and had Beth. Rachel didn't want to risk it.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Quinn's voice broke Rachel out of her thoughts. When she got Rachel's attention, she continued into her bedroom, unbuttoning her shirt as she went. She gathered a pair of jeans and underwear from her dresser before going into her closet for a shirt before going into her bathroom. She knew Rachel would sit on the counter while she took her shower. She normally did whenever they were to go somewhere.

"Just thinking about what you said." Rachel slid up onto the counter beside the sink in the bathroom. Out of respect – as she always had – she looked down at the floor while Quinn got the water ready and undressed. She wasn't embarrassed to be around her best friend, but she still didn't want to make things uncomfortable

"You should try talking to him." Quinn pushed the curtain aside to step into the shower. "Just to see what he actually has to say about the whole thing."

Rachel looked down at her phone before sliding it open to type a response to Finn.

_Rachel: I'm at Quinn's we'll be leaving soon_

Rachel waited for several moments for a response. Any kind of response. She sighed when nothing came. "I just sent him a text."

"Okay." Quinn let out a sigh. She hoped that Rachel would decide to wait and not sleep with Finn. She knew she couldn't sway her friend's decision either way, but she hoped Rachel would heed her warnings. "I'll be done here in a minute. Wanna go wait in my room?"

The brunette laughed softly. "Take your time Quinn." And with that, she left the bathroom and went back into Quinn's bedroom to make herself comfortable on the bed. She found herself staring at her phone. _Why wasn't Finn responding?_ She knew she shouldn't think the worst. He was, after all, at a party. And knowing Santana's parties, the music was blaring and Finn wouldn't be able to hear his phone.

She let out a heavy sigh as she sank into Quinn's memory foam mattress. Her eyes fell shut as she allowed the stress from her body to relax away. There was some reason that Rachel couldn't quite put her finger one, that made her feel so at home – so relaxed, so calm.

"What's on your mind?" Quinn walked into her bedroom, smiling when she spotted her friend stretched out on her bed. Rachel looked so at peace as she lie across her bed, eyes shut, not a care in the world. Quinn, in a way, felt bad for interrupting her friend.

Rachel spoke without even opening her eyes. "I kind of don't want to go to the party. I just know he'll try something Quinn."

The blonde finished drying as much of her hair as she could with her towel before tossing it into her hamper. She then sat down on the bed next to her friend's legs with a sigh, "stay near me, or Santana tonight then. I know you and her don't have the best relationship, but if she happens to hear you say no to him, she'll step in to protect you. It's in her nature to protect people."

"Can't we just stay here and watch movies?" Rachel shifted in her place to stretch her legs out over Quinn's lap.

"You're determined to skip the party aren't you?" If Quinn were to be honest with herself, she didn't want to go either. Ever since she had Beth, she'd lost a lot of interest in going out, especially if she didn't have her daughter with her. She allowed her hand to rest on Rachel's jean covered calf before massaging gently.

"Yes, I am determined to not go to this party. Finn probably won't even notice I'm not there." Rachel rolled onto her back, her eyes finally opening to look at Quinn. She tilted her head some to the side and just examined the girl who had become her best friend. There was something about Quinn that she suddenly felt herself trying to figure out. She felt so welcomed by the blonde girl. A feeling she'd never felt before, not with Puck, not with Jesse, and certainly not with Finn.

Finn made her feel like she wasn't his equal. That just because she was a girl – unpopular girl – that she wasn't even human. If they were to skip the party, she was nearly 100 percent certain that her so-called boyfriend wouldn't even notice. There were times in their relationship that he tried to make her think that if he wasn't dating her, she'd still be getting slushie facials every day. That if it wasn't for him, she never would have become friends with Quinn because she wouldn't have the popularity status to even be noticed by the blonde.

But, the longer she looked at Quinn, the more she realized that Finn had nothing to do with it. What changed their friendship was Quinn's pregnancy. The blonde falling pregnant to a common mistake, changed her entire outlook on life. "I'm glad you accepted my friendship." Rachel spit the words out before she could even stop herself. The way Quinn's head snapped around to look at her, caused the brunette to blush heavily and look away.

"I'm glad I did too." Quinn smiled softly before a blush overtook her own cheeks.

She suddenly looked down at her hand and realized the intimacy of the contact she had with Rachel's calf. Granted, it wasn't the first time they'd sat like that on her bed, but with the way Rachel had just been watching her, partnered with what the brunette just said, the contact seemed more loving than friendly. After a moment of her eyes just watching her own hand, she decided against pulling it away. Why change her actions based on a simple statement her friend made? Or because of how her friend was just watching her?

"So, what movie do you want to watch?" Quinn threw her another smile before pushing her legs off of her lap and going to turn on her Xbox. After grabbing her TV remote and her controller, she crawled onto the bed beside Rachel. She waited for her account to sign in before scrolling over to the Netflix application.

"I don't care Quinn, just no horror please."

The blonde pouted, "fine." She knew Rachel wouldn't allow her to watch a movie from her favorite genre. She remembered back to the first time she tried to watch Valentine with her. Rachel had thought it was some romantic movie. Oh how she was wrong. Now, ever since that incident, Rachel never allowed Quinn to select their movie.

"Something funny." Rachel reached over to grab the controller from the blonde, effectively closing whatever gap was left between them. After successfully grabbing the controller, though, Rachel made no attempt to move back to her original spot.

Quinn's eyes darted between the TV and the girl beside her several times before she drew her lip in between her teeth to nervously nibble on it. She couldn't quite understand why she suddenly felt this new feeling washing over her just by having Rachel so close to her. It was nice. Whatever it was, she didn't want it to end. So, along with Rachel making no attempt to move away, neither did Quinn. Her eyes finally stayed focused on the screen as she heard the music for opening movie credits begin to play.

"What are we watching?"

"Were you not paying attention Quinn Fabray?"

_Too busy looking at you._ "Not really… you know I'll give anything a try."

Rachel rolled her eyes before laughing softly. "Pitch Perfect."

"Oh, that's good, I watched it about a week ago."

"I'll find something else then…" Rachel sounded a little disheartened as she reached for the controller again. Her hand was stopped though, when Quinn grabbed it. "But you've already seen it…"

"You obviously haven't, so it's fine." Quinn wasn't sure why, but her voice was barely at a whisper's level as she spoke. Her eyes moved away from their hands to look at Rachel. "Leave it on. It's a good movie, I have no problem watching it again."

"Okay!" Rachel's happy reply caused Quinn's heart to flutter some.

The pair remained close together on Quinn's bed throughout the movie. Neither making any action to move away from the other. It was the sound of Rachel's phone ringing that drew Quinn out of her impending sleep. "Rach…" She lifted her head up to look at the sleeping girl beside her. Rachel's head was resting on her shoulder, and sometime during their short slumber, her arm had ended up around Quinn's midsection. "Rachel, your phone…"

"Ignore it." The brunette whispered before snuggling closer to her friend. She'd heard the device ringing, but she didn't want to move. Her body had finally relaxed. Rachel didn't know how long she'd been asleep, but she did know that that's all she wanted.

Quinn shook her head before coming to rest her own head on top of Rachel's. It wasn't the first time they'd curled up like that either. They'd become close to one another over their short friendship. Closer than most other friends they knew. "Alright, go back to sleep Rach." The brunette nodded slightly. Quinn took the next few moments to watch Rachel now.

What was she feeling? Sure, everything had changed over the past two years. She started looking at everything differently. Her entire outlook on life had shifted out of the closed mindedness she was raised to believe. After her pregnancy, new things had come to light. New experiences, new groups of people. When she fell pregnant, _that_ was when Quinn learned who her real friends were. Those people who 'looked up' to her when she was younger, simply kicked her to the curb when she made a mistake. Heaven forbid, the _perfect_ Quinn Fabray made a mistake. It was still a mistake that they didn't let her live down.

But now, Quinn was a single mother who was acing her way through her senior year in high school, on top of having a full time job. Quinn had found herself to be more relaxed about everything that happened around her. Seeing Brittany and Santana dating, no longer bothered her as it would have two years ago. She can actually see how happy her friends are together. Love should show no boundaries, gender or otherwise.

Sadly, Quinn felt she didn't have time for love. She was lucky she had time to sleep, let alone to spend time outside of school with her friends. Her friends and her mother were all she had. There was no way she'd be able to add any chance at a relationship into her schedule. She savored the moments she did get with her friends, because with school and work, they were few and far between. But, as Quinn thought about it, she enjoyed her time with Rachel the most.

Rachel was the only person she could tell everything to. There were some secrets that Rachel knew, that not even Santana knew. She wasn't sure what it was about the brunette, but she felt as though she could trust her with her life. But she wasn't sure what it really meant. Brittany and Santana were as close as her and Rachel before they took the next step. But just because she's really close to Rachel doesn't mean she would want a relationship with her. Right?

_Too much thinking. She's just a friend._ Quinn told herself before placing her head back onto her pillow and closing her eyes to sleep. Hopefully in the morning, things would be more clear to her.

* * *

**_There's chapter 2 for you. I'll have everybody know that I'm really enjoying working on this story.  
_**

**_Let me know what you think :D_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Continuing to work on this story. I'm in Chapter 6 right now :) Go me. Here's chapter 3 for you. I may not update tomorrow, just to give a little bit of time for this to sink in with people._**

**_I was informed by Olacindy that someone posted a link to this story on an Achele message board. I found the post myself and it brought a huge smile to my face! I didn't think people really liked my stuff that much :D_**

**_Keep up the support, it's incredible. This chapter dives a little more into feelings and whatnot, with a cliffhanger at the end ;) Which is mostly why I want to give a day or two in between posts. Let people's minds wander as to what's going on._**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 3_**

Rachel was the first to wake up. The darkness in the room told her that it was sometime in the early morning. The television still being on was the only light in the bedroom. It offered just enough light to where she could see that Quinn was still asleep. Carefully, she pulled her arm off of Quinn's waist and sat upright. Her eyes scanned the room before finally falling on what she was looking for. Her phone. There was a blue light flashing on the top part of the screen to indicate a new message.

After taking another moment or two to compose herself, and shake the sleepy feeling she felt, she unlocked her screen and scrolled down the menu to see several text messages. With a sigh, she loaded the conversation with Finn to look at the texts he had sent to her.

_Finn: Hey, where you at? You said you'd be here soon_

_Finn: Partys in full force miss you_

_Finn: Fine don't come then Rach_

_Finn: what the fuck where you at?_

_Finn: forget it I'm having fun without you_

_Finn: just stay in with your little girlfriend all night then see if I care_

Rachel sighed before finally looking at the time. 2:45AM. Surely the party was over and people were passed out by now, but she still slid open her keyboard to type out a reply to her boyfriend.

_Rachel: We decided to stay in. Quinn was really tired after work and I just wasn't feeling up to going to the party_

After sending the message to Finn, she pulled down her menu again to see two new text messages from Santana.

_Santana: Berry, hope you and Q are good Finn said you were with her_

_Santana: He's here throwing a tantrum cuz you're not here yet._

Another sigh left her lips. At least Santana wasn't pressuring her about not coming. Surely Quinn had some text messages from the Latina as well.

_Rachel: We decided to stay in and watch some movies. I really didn't want to see Finn anyway. I hope the party turned out good_

What she wasn't expecting, was a very quick reply from Santana.

_Santana: No worries Berry I wouldn't wanna see him either lol_

_Rachel: He's really mad at me…_

_Santana: When are you gonna dump him and get with Q already?_

Rachel's eyes nearly bugged out of her head at Santana's text message. What on earth was she talking about? Surely Santana was drunk and didn't know what she was really saying. But Rachel couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth in what her friend had just said.

_Rachel: What are you talking about?_

She knew what she thought Santana meant. But she just wanted to make sure she was on the same page. Santana implied that her and Quinn should get together. She didn't even think about Quinn like that. But why was she now?

_Santana: Come on Berry, I know you're not that dumb. You and Q got something. Kick Finn to the curb and give it a shot with Q. She treats you better than he ever would anyway_

The brunette's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the text message. She tried not to look too far into it though. Pushing the thoughts aside was the easiest thing for her to do. She was with Finn. She was _happy_ with Finn. At least that's what she told herself anyway.

What if she were gay, her life at school was already rough as it was anyway. Dating the quarterback and being friends with the two most feared people in the school did help her status some. But not much. People still treated her as they always had before. Finn never stood up for her. He just stood back and watched as insult after insult flew at her, or slushie after slushie was dumped onto her head.

The students knew he wouldn't do anything. But, whenever she was near Quinn or Santana, nobody said a word to her. She felt safer around the two girls than she ever did near Finn. But just because she enjoyed their company, especially Quinn's, didn't mean that she loved her. Sure, she loved her as a friend, but that was it. Quinn was just her friend.

To prove her thought process to herself even further, she opened up her phone again to send a message to Finn.

_Rachel: I love you and miss you. I'll come and see you tomorrow. Sorry about tonight_

As she sent her message to him, she couldn't help but feel as though she was lying to him and to herself. She reached over to place her phone on the bedside table before curling up on her side and simply watch Quinn.

Sure, she was a beautiful young woman. Any normal person could admit that. Who was she kidding anyway? Rachel Berry was not gay, nor did she ever have any urges to even experiment. She simply enjoyed her time spent with Quinn. Her best friend. A smile came to her face as she tucked her hand under her head and closed her eyes. Quinn Fabray was her best friend. And even if she had any urges to experiment with a girl, she definitely wouldn't dare to risk her friendship with Quinn.

* * *

The sound of her phone buzzing with a new text message started to draw Quinn out of her slumber. Instead of sitting right up to reach for the device, she just groaned and snuggled further into her pillow. What caused her eyes to open though, was the soft sound of laughter coming from the girl seated beside her on the bed. Rachel giggled again, it was then that the faint sound of the TV started to register in her mind.

Without saying a word, Quinn rolled onto her back and looked over at Rachel. The brunette was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her pillows propped up behind her against the headboard, and in her hand was a bowl of oatmeal. Quinn felt her heart swell some at the simple concept of waking up beside Rachel Berry. That concept confused the hell out of her though.

"Why are you watching me?" Rachel finally broke her gaze away from the television to look down at her bed mate.

"Still trying to wake up."

Quinn's raspy morning voice sent a slight chill down Rachel's spine. She only smiled down at the blonde though, to mask the new feeling that was confusing her as well. "Here," she scooped up some of her oatmeal and offered the spoon to the blonde.

"Who said you could eat my food Berry?" Quinn jested with her before leaning forward to take the bite off of the spoon. "And why does your oatmeal always taste a million times better than my own?"

"Because I use soy milk in mine and you use cow's milk." Rachel stated matter-of-factly before taking another bite of the oatmeal. She smiled at the glare she received. "What? It's true. I make mine the exact same way you make yours, except for my choice of milk."

"Yea, whatever." Quinn rolled back onto her other side and reached for her phone. It was a habit she'd developed ever since she had her first cell phone. "10 new text messages… what the hell?" She ran her fingers through her messed up hair before opening up her drop down menu to look at the texts.

"I had a lot this morning too." Rachel placed her bowl on the stand beside her and fully relaxed into the pillows behind her. She couldn't help but keep her eye on Quinn as her brow furrowed with the first few messages she read.

_Santana: Wth Q. Where you and Berry at?_

Santana: Finnocence is throwing a hissy fit because you're with his girl

_Santana: What's going on with you and Berry anyway?_

_Santana: Come on Q. Don't leave me hanging here. I wants to know_

_Santana: Berry just told me you and her stayed in and that she didn't wanna see him. What's up with that_

_Santana: K, I'm bout to pass out. Text me in the morning bitch_

"When did you talk to Santana?" Quinn looked from her phone to her friend.

"I woke up for a little bit about 3. My phone was flashing and I decided to check it, I talked to her for a few minutes before I went back to sleep."

"Six of my texts are from her." Quinn let out a chuckle. "One is from Britt, wondering where we were at. And for some reason, your boyfriend decided to text me three times." Quinn finally loaded those texts from Finn to look at them. She could feel her blood boil the minute she laid eyes on them. "What the fuck is his problem?"

Rachel shut upright and reached for the blonde's phone. It wasn't often that Quinn swore so harshly. When she got her hands on Quinn's phone and saw the messages for herself, she completely understood why Quinn had gotten so angry.

_Finn: I know Rach is with you. Wtf Fabray. Bring my gf to the party_

_Finn: This isn't cool. I always knew you hated me, but seriously, turning my girl against me too thats a new low_

_Finn: seriously Quinn, stop ignoring me I know you can see these messages._

"And yet he wonders why we don't talk anymore." Quinn stated as she took her phone back from Rachel. "So what are we doing today? I'm off all day long."

Rachel bit her lower lip before speaking. "I told Finn I'd go see him today."

"You going to put him in his place? Tell him to back off some with pressuring you." Quinn raised an eyebrow at the other girl.

"I do want to talk to him, yes."

"Good. Like I said Rach, if you're not ready, don't let anybody else force you. You have control over your own body. I made a mistake and ended up with Beth. Don't get me wrong, I love her with all of my heart and wouldn't trade her for anything. But you really have to consider all of your options."

_All of her options._ It was what Rachel had been doing most of her night and throughout her early morning. She had a strong feeling that if she didn't sleep with Finn, she'd end up losing him, and by association, any social status she may have gained from dating him. But, if she did sleep with him, it would feel like she'd given up on herself. She glanced over at Quinn once more before she stood up. She was still musing over the statement that Santana had made to her during the wee hours of the morning. Santana was apparently just seeing something that simply wasn't there.

"Now that you're actually awake," she joked, "I'm going to head home so I can get changed and showered."

Quinn stretched her arms above her head, effectively arching her back as she did so. "Alright, I'm probably going to go back to sleep for a little while. I don't get to sleep in much with a two year old, unless it's nap time."

Rachel giggled down at the blonde. "I'll lock the door on my way out."

"Text me later? Let me know how it goes?" Quinn sat up to be able to give Rachel a hug. Thankfully the brunette understood her actions and met her before she stood completely up for a warm embrace.

"I will. Soak up your opportunity to sleep in."

"Plan on it." Quinn shifted just enough to pull the blanket down. She climbed under the covers and sank into her mattress with a relaxed sigh. "Good luck Rach."

Rachel made a soft sound of acknowledgement as she left the bedroom. She took her bowl into the kitchen to place in the dishwasher before showing herself out of Quinn's apartment – locking the door behind her. For some reason, leaving Quinn to go and see Finn, just didn't feel right. It should feel right though because Finn was her boyfriend. She loved Finn. Finn loved her.

Santana's words were still engraved in her head though.

* * *

By the time Quinn woke back up, it was after noon. She glanced at her phone to see a new message from Santana.

_Santana: your phone off or something_

_Quinn: No just woke up_

_Santana: long night last night? Wanky ;)_

Quinn blushed at Santana's innuendo.

_Quinn: I like sleeping in when Beth isn't here_

_Santana: so why didn't you and Berry come last night_

_Quinn: she didn't want to go so we stayed in and watched a movie_

_Santana: she told me she didn't want to see Finn. So whats up with that_

The blonde sighed before she rubbed her hand over her face. She wanted to spill everything to Santana, but it wasn't her story to tell.

_Quinn: Don't know, she wont tell me whats wrong said she was going to see him today though. She should be there now_

She finally rolled over in bed and felt emptiness. Not only because her bed was empty, but because Rachel wasn't there. It wasn't a feeling she was new to. Rachel being near her gave her a since of security, of comfort. She had felt the sinking feeling in her chest before, but never really thought much of it. Rachel was her best friend. Nothing more.

_Santana: You should totally try to steal her away from that jerk_

_Quinn: What are you going on about San? Im not gay and neither is she_

_Santana: I wasn't gay either until Britt, just think about it_

Quinn shook her head before finally crawling out of bed to get her day started. She decided to head to the grocery store after her shower. It was something she'd been putting off for a few days now and since she had the day to herself, she figured she'd get it out of the way. She left her phone in the bedroom as she went to take her shower to get her day started.

She towel dried her hair after coming out of the bathroom. Being home alone now, she walked from the bathroom to her room with just a towel wrapped around her body. She continued to sing along to the song that had just started playing on her iPod when she shut it off in the bathroom.

_All I knew this morning when I woke,  
Is I know something now (know something now),  
I didn't before._

And all I've seen,  
Since 18 hours ago,  
Is green eyes and freckles and your smile  
In the back of my mind making me feel like...

Quinn was interrupted when she heard her phone start ringing. She hummed along to the tune of the song as she answered the phone, "hey Rach."

"Quinn?"

The tone in Rachel's voice had her scared for a moment. "You okay?"

"Yea, do you mind if I come back over for the day… Finn… and I had a fight."

Quinn could easily tell there was more to it than that. But she also knew better than to ask and push Rachel to talk. Granted, Rachel normally talked all of the time, but whenever it was to do with personal matters, she shut down. "Sure, I mean, I was going to go to the store today, but I can just go tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you Quinn." Rachel quickly hung up.

Quinn though, could tell that Rachel was close to crying. Whatever it was that they fought about must have been bad to have Rachel Berry crying. She was usually so tough skinned that nothing phased her. Quinn felt herself be worried on Rachel's behalf. She remembered their conversation last night vividly and wondered what exactly Rachel would have said to Finn.

* * *

**_Song Quinn was singing was "Everything Has Changed" by Taylor Swift. I heard the words to the song and thought it was perfect for Quinn and Rachel. :) There will be singing throughout this story, I mean, come on, it IS a Glee fic lol  
_**

**_Let me know what you think. Feel free to PM me too ;) I love talking to new people._**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Here's the next chapter for you. I figured I'd take a few minutes before I left for work to get this posted. That way when I see reviews while I'm on my breaks I'll be happy :D You all are incredible for the support you've given this story. I only hope it continues to grow as this story continues._**

**_I plan on taking my time with any Faberry romance that's going to happen in here. Some of you probably figured out what happened to have Rachel so upset, this chapter will dive further into that and hopefully explain more of her thought process behind it._**

**_When I get home tonight from work I plan on continuing to write more to this. I'm still only in chapter 6, I didn't write anything more yesterday. When I got home, I was just in too much pain to sit at my computer to type. Hopefully tonight won't be that bad, plus I'm off tomorrow._**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 4_**

Quinn stood up from the sofa when she heard her doorbell ring. She'd been waiting for Rachel's arrival ever since she received her call about an hour ago. The minute she opened the door though, the smaller body of Rachel practically crashed into hers. "Hey… what happened?" She wrapped her arms tightly around Rachel's form. Against her chest, she could feel the brunette shaking her head. "Okay, come on in." She kept her arms around Rachel as she led her into her living room and onto the sofa. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Rachel allowed herself to be sat on the sofa, still staying close to Quinn. She was seeking any type of comfort she could get. Which was exactly why she'd gone right from Finn's house to Quinn's apartment. She sniffled some as she curled into Quinn's side. The feeling of the blonde's arms around her, her hands on her lower back, relaxed her.

"You're scaring me Rach…" It was true. Rachel's nonstop crying was starting to scare her. In all of her years knowing her, she'd never seen her break down the way she was now.

Rachel shook her head once again. "I… I can't." She sniffled again before turning her head away to cough.

Quinn was completely lost. All she could do was hold her best friend and console her as she cried into her chest. "Whatever it is Rach, it'll be okay."

"No it won't…" Was all she said before closing her eyes. Being in Quinn's arms helped to completely relax her. After a few more moments, she finally stopped crying. She made no attempt, though, to move out of her friend's embrace.

"Please, talk to me honey." She whispered, trying her best to soothe her friend.

Rachel remained silent for several moments. She felt used. She felt dirty. She was scared to tell Quinn the truth. There was a fear overtaking her that Quinn would hate her for not listening to her. Rachel had wanted listen, she tried to listen, but her own fears of losing Finn pushed away everything Quinn had talked to her about the night before.

Finn had been right in the past. She was so terrified of being left alone that she would succumb to just about anything people would ask her to do. Sleeping with Finn had turned into one of her largest mistakes she'd ever made in her young life.

Finn never made Rachel feel like his equal. She took a moment to think back to when their relationship was just starting. Rachel remembered how he constantly pressured her for more than just kissing. When they first started dating, Rachel was still very adamant on the promises she'd made to herself. But as time passed, an overwhelming fear of abandonment started to push away her self-made promises. He had engraved into her mind that without him, she would no longer have Quinn or Santana and by extension, Puck and Brittany.

She'd tried, and failed, to battle off his 'teachings.' Rachel knew how much Quinn and Finn loathed one another. If she were to lose Finn, she knew, deep down, she would never lose Quinn. But sadly, she didn't feel the same way about Finn. If she were to lose Quinn, she didn't know if Finn would always stay by her side.

"I… I want to break up with Finn…" Rachel finally spoke after about fifteen minutes of silence.

"What happened?"

"He used me…" her voice was just a whisper.

Quinn found herself straining to hear what the brunette had said. When her mind actually registered her words, she subconsciously pulled Rachel even closer to her body. "Are… are you okay?" Her mind instantly filled in the gaps. Rachel's tears, her long silence, the fact that she had just said he used her… it all made sense.

She shook her head before nuzzling further into Quinn's embrace. Why hadn't she ever felt so comfortable in Finn's arms? If she were to be honest with herself, all of her wandering thoughts were giving her a headache. Rachel decided, at that point, that it was all Santana's fault. She'd never once looked at Quinn the way she was now, until Santana opened her mouth. "Can we just stay like this?" Rachel bit her lip nervously, worried over what Quinn would say.

The blonde also bit her lip. She did, however, pull Rachel even closer to her. "Of course we can."

"Can we watch a movie?"

Quinn chuckled some. It was obviously one of Rachel's favorite past times. "Sure, you can pick."

The brunette stood up from the sofa and wiped at her eyes one more time. She slowly made her way toward the TV stand to search through the DVD collection Quinn had accumulated over the past few months. Without having cable hooked up in her apartment, Quinn relied on Netflix and DVDs to keep herself occupied. "Are you in the mood for anything?"

"You know I'm always all for Star Wars or Iron Man." Quinn smiled at the way Rachel rolled her eyes. "Don't judge me."

"I'd never judge you Quinn." Rachel pulled Iron Man 2 out of its spot on the case and popped it open to put it into the DVD player.

"Good choice my friend." Quinn smirked when she watched familiar previews start showing on the TV. "I'm surprised you chose Iron Man, I thought you hated it."

_But you love it._ She stopped herself from saying the first thing that popped into her mind. "I just want something that's numbing. And watching a movie that you've made me watch 100 times before is numbing to me." She placed the DVD case on top of the player and made her way back to the sofa to curl up with Quinn. Rachel placed her head on the blonde's shoulder and sighed happily.

She'd been thinking nonstop over what Santana had said the night before to her. Surely Quinn didn't think the same thing. Rachel, being raised how she was, knew that love showed no boundaries. But she'd never felt attracted to another girl before. She wished she could understand why she felt so safe in Quinn's arms. She allowed her eyes to close as she took in Quinn's scent. A faint mix of vanilla and something that was distinctly Quinn filled her senses and helped her to drift off to sleep.

Quinn felt the shift in Rachel. Her breathing had slowed down and she was no longer trembling under her touch. She glanced down at the brunette to see that she had fallen asleep. She shifted her hand up to run her fingers through Rachel's hair. She reached for her phone and opened it to send a text to Santana.

_Quinn: Something happened with Rach and Finn_

_Santana: Ill kill him_

Quinn chuckled softly. It was like she had told Rachel the night before. Her and Santana's relationship may not have been the best, but Santana did care about the people she considered to be her friends. Though Santana would never admit it, she did think of Rachel as one of her best friends.

_Quinn: don't know what happened though she wont tell me_

_Santana: Imma still kill him Monday_

_Quinn: I'll be sure to tell her that when she wakes up_

She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell Santana what she was thinking had happened. Though, while she was nearly certain, she wasn't completely positive on her assumptions. Quinn's attention was drawn away from her phone when she heard Rachel's start to ring. Instead of waking Rachel up, she reached for the device and silenced it. Especially when she saw Finn's name on the screen. Surely Rachel wouldn't want to talk to him, not after the way she was crying when she showed up at her apartment.

The phone started ringing almost immediately after the call had ended. Quinn felt her blood start to boil. As delicately as she could, she wiggled her way out from under Rachel. She replaced her own body with one of the throw pillows for Rachel to curl into. She then grabbed the diva's phone and walked into the kitchen to answer it.

"What do you want?"

"Quinn? What are you doing answering Rachel's phone?"

"She's sleeping. Figured if I didn't answer if, you'd keep calling and eventually wake her up."

"Well I need to talk to her." He sounded a little desperate.

"Whatever happened earlier, upset her. She doesn't want to talk to you."

He huffed before speaking, "You don't even know what happened earlier. Wake her up."

"No. And you need to back off of her. She'll talk to you when she's ready." Quinn peaked around the corner into the living room to make sure Rachel was still, in fact, sleeping.

_"Listen Quinn, I know you want her for yourself, anybody with eyes can see that. But you can't have her. She's with me. She loves me. She slept with me. You'll never have any of that with her. Now let me talk to my girlfriend Fabray."_

Without saying another word, Quinn ended the call. She quickly silenced Rachel's phone before Finn could call back. Her fear had been confirmed. With what Rachel had said earlier, Quinn had a suspicion, that Finn had just confirmed. Her heart broke some as she looked back into the living room to see Rachel clinging to the pillow for dear life.

Things didn't really make sense. Why would Rachel be so upset if it was something she decided to do? Quinn's blood began to boil as other thoughts started to crowd her mind. Rachel shouldn't be so upset. All she could do though, was retake her place on the sofa next to the brunette. She carefully pulled the pillow out of Rachel's grasp and shimmied her way back into her original spot. Quinn wrapped her arms tightly around her best friend and simply held her.

Quinn could tell that something had happened. But she couldn't allow herself to be caught up in it. She didn't know anything for certain, and if Rachel didn't tell her, she'd never know.

* * *

When Rachel awoke about an hour later, she was surprised to see she was still in the same spot she fell asleep in. Quinn's arms were still securely around her, and her head was snuggled into the blonde's shoulder. She lifted her head to look up at Quinn. The blonde's eyes were trained directly on the TV and her jaw looked tensed.

"Quinn?"

The blonde turned her attention away from the television to look down at Rachel. "Morning." She smiled softly. She couldn't be mad at Rachel, no matter what she tried. She knew she was frustrated with her for not telling her what happened though.

"You look upset…" Rachel started off slowly as she pushed herself to sit upright.

"Your boyfriend called right after you fell asleep." Quinn frowned when she noticed Rachel tense up at the words. "Is there anything you need to tell me Rach?" The brunette quickly shook her head. But the way she diverted her gaze told Quinn that there was something she was hiding. "He called your phone and I answered it. I didn't want the ringing to wake you up… he… he told me you slept together. Is that what's got you so upset Rachel?"

Rachel felt her chest tighten up. She reached up to place the palm of her hand against her breast bone. Her eyes closed as she focused on one of her many breathing exercises to calm down. "Yes."

"What happened?" Rachel just shook her head as she had done earlier in the day. "Rachel, did he force you to do anything?" She shook her head again. "Come on, you've got to give me something here. If he didn't force you, why are you so upset?"

"I don't want you to be mad at me…" Rachel's voice was so timid that it almost brought tears to Quinn's eyes. "After what we talked about last night, I figured you'd get mad at me for making this decision…" Rachel wasn't exactly telling Quinn the truth. She had slept with him, yes, but not for the reasons that Finn was thinking… the reasons that Quinn was now thinking. It was mostly to prove something to herself. But sleeping with him, proved her theories wrong.

She wasn't mad, no. But there was a very unfamiliar twinge in her heart that told her something different. She didn't feel mad. _Jealous_? Jealous that Rachel had someone who loved her and whom she loved. Quinn nodded some to her own thoughts before she spoke again. "Why would I get mad at something you do? That really doesn't make any sense. I can't control your life Rachel."

"I don't know…" Rachel briefly glanced at Quinn before looking down at her hands. Sleeping with Finn only made her feel dirty. She didn't even enjoy it. He was mostly worried about his own pleasure and spent no time at all making sure she felt loved.

"Why don't you tell me what happened? I mean, minus the sex details and stuff… why were you crying so much when you called me and when you got here?"

The brunette kept her eyes trained on her lap as she started to recall the events that upset her so much.

_"That was really great Rachel." He smirked at her before leaning in to plant a sloppy kiss on her lips. His smirk fell though, when she turned her head away from him. "What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing, I'm fine." She shifted out from under him and turned onto her side. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them to protect herself – to cover herself from his gaze._

_"You don't look fine." He laid down behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He barely noticed that her entire body tensed up at the feeling of him so close._

_"I'm fine Finn." She pushed her way out from under his grasp and scooted to the edge of the bed. Rachel leaned down to grab her shirt and bra before putting them on. "This was a mistake."_

_"What do you mean? Didn't you like it?"_

_"It was a mistake Finn. I shouldn't have slept with you. I came over here to just talk to you and look what ended up happening."_

_"It's not that big of a deal Rach."_

_Her sharp intake of air told him otherwise. But, of course, he didn't see it. To him, it was no big deal. She was just a lay for him. It didn't matter to him that he'd just taken her virginity. She swallowed the lump in her throat before quickly gathering the remainder of her clothing to put them on._

_"What did I say?" He sat up and went to grab his shorts to put on that way he could follow her out of his room. "Rachel, wait up."_

_"No Finn. I'm not going to 'wait up.' I'm apparently not that big of a deal to you."_

_"That's not what I said. I said that having sex wasn't that big of a deal." He still wasn't getting it._

_She shook her head, the tears finally breaking free from her eyes. "It was a big deal Finn. But you don't see it." She grabbed her phone off of his stand and slipped her shoes on. After throwing him one more look, she stormed out of his room and his house. Once she was safely in her car, she no longer made any attempt to stop the tears from falling._

* * *

"What an ass!" Quinn was beyond livid now. "He's lucky I don't drive over there right now and cut off his dick!" The blonde was practically yelling now. Her face had gone from its usual pale shade to a deep red color in rage.

"Quinn, please…" Rachel reached out to grab her friend's hand. "I learned that he's not worth it. I should have listened to you and Santana all along. He's never been worth it. That's all he wanted from me." Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her phone sitting on the coffee table with that familiar blue light blinking at her.

Quinn caught sight of Rachel's gaze, "he's been calling you nonstop for the past hour. You'd think he'd get the hint."

Instead of reaching for the device like she normally would, Rachel decided to just leave it alone. "I should get home soon though. I know you work a really long shift on Sundays and it's already getting late."

"Rachel, there's something else you're not telling me." Quinn grabbed the brunette's hand before she could stand up.

Rachel diverted her eyes again. She had a sinking feeling that Quinn just wouldn't let it go. "I don't want to be alone."

"What do you mean? You're not alone."

"He made me feel like I would be without him…" Her lip began trembling as she realized how stupid she sounded to her own ears. "He told me that if he left me, you and Santana, and the others would all dump me to the curb…"

Quinn's eyes shot open in shock. "Don't listen to him Rachel. He's even dumber than I thought he was." She wrapped her arms tightly around the smaller girl, pulling her body against her own. "You're never going to be alone. Not as long as I'm here. Santana and the others won't leave your side either. We've all realized how amazing of a person you really are." Quinn blushed at her own words. She'd always thought highly of Rachel, but saying those words to her… Quinn realized she was speaking from her heart.

She mused for a moment, wondering if Santana's intuition about them was spot on…

* * *

**_Little bit more of the feelings coming out from Quinn. As I said in the first note, this will be a slow process, considering neither one of them are gay. There will be a lot of soul searching for them both to figure things out.  
_**

**_Like it? Let me a review, let me know :D_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_My troll has appeared to have returned in the last chapter. No, Puck is not a rapist. They were both drunk and it was consensual for both parties. With that said, here's chapter 5 :)_**

**_Trolls aside, thank you SO much for all the reviews you've been spamming me with. I actually had to turn off my notifications for story favorites and story alerts. 39 favorites so far and 130 story alerts, that's insane. Plus, I know it will only continue to grow. _**

**_If you have any ideas at all, please feel free to share them with me. This chapter will contain some badass Santana in it. Plus show Rachel how much of a prick Finn is. :) Enjoy!_**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 5_**

Quinn had felt a little lost. She'd worked a 13 hour shift on Sunday, nothing new to her, but she didn't talk to Rachel at all. She'd become so accustomed to talking to Rachel every day that having no communication with the shorter girl made her feel lost. She'd spent her evening trying to figure things out in her own head. Rachel needed space to figure things out with Finn. Quinn respected that. She understood what it was like to make a mistake and need to be alone.

She made her way from her car, toward the school. She was early enough that day to be able to make a pit stop at Rachel's locker to catch up with her. She had been worried about her the day before.

Thankfully, Rachel's locker was fairly close to her own. While she was placing her backpack in her own locker, she was able to glance down the hallway. She frowned, though, when she saw Finn towering over Rachel at her locker. Her curiosity got the best of her. Instead of walking right up to Rachel to talk to her, like she wanted to do, she stayed just out of their sight to be able to hear everything they were saying.

"Rach, I know you enjoyed it too." He spoke with one of his stupid smirks on his face. "Why aren't you talking to me? What did I do?"

"You told me that it didn't mean anything. That's what you did Finn."

He threw his hands up in exasperation. "I don't get it Rachel. It really wasn't that big a deal. Why are you so upset about it?"

The brunette shook her head, mumbling something under her breath as she turned back to her locker to get her books for her first two classes.

"What was that?"

"I should have listened to Quinn!" She shouted at him. Her sudden outburst caused the people nearby to stop their own conversations. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see several other students turning to watch them.

Finn shook his head at her. "I should have known Quinn had something to do with this. I don't even know why you spend so much time with her. She's always been such a lying bitch. Why are you falling for her tricks?"

Rachel's hand latched onto the locker door, her knuckles became white in the process. She knew her boyfriend hated her best friend, but she despised hearing it from him. "People change Finn. She's incredible, kind, and the most caring person I've ever met." She looked up at him before continuing, "and she has nothing to do with how much I regret what happened. She had tried to talk me out of it."

He laughed harshly at her. "That's because she wants you. Everybody can see it. Quinn is nothing but a carpet-" A slap, so unexpected, landed across his face. "What the hell Rachel?"

The crowd of students watching them had started to grow. Rachel could feel their eyes boring holes into her and she suddenly felt very self-conscious. "Leave Quinn out of this. She's my best friend and there's nothing you can say, or do to change that!" She slammed her locker shut, but before she could turn to leave him, he grabbed her arm to pull her right back to him. "Let go of me!"

"No. That bitch is ruining our relationship and you're just too blind to see it. You're blinded by the one thing you've always wanted – friends. If it wasn't for me, nobody would even look at you."

Before he could step closer to her, his hand was knocked off of Rachel's arm and he found himself being slammed into the locker. "The fuck is your problem Frankenteen?"

Finn seemed to buckle some under the intense stare that Santana was giving to him. "This has nothing to do with you Satan."

"Oh, I think it does. Whenever you lay your grossly enormous hands on any one of my friends it becomes my problem." The Latina stuck her finger right into Finn's face.

"You don't scare me Santana."

"Oh I don't?" A sly, evil smirk came to her lips. "Then why are you shaking?" Her eyes narrowed more as her voice lowered to a deadly level. "If I so much as see you lay a finger on her again after she tells you no… I will end you. AND! I don't ever wanna hear my girl Quinn's name come outta your mouth again. We clear?"

"Yea, whatever." He tried to shake away from her grasp, only to have her hands tighten around his shirt.

"Not good enough. Do you want to try again?"

"We're clear Santana."

"Good," she shoved him away from her then brushed her hands together, "Now get out of here. I'm tired of looking at your face. It's making me wanna hurl up my breakfast." She watched him disappear into the crowd of students before turning back to a wide-eyed Rachel. Her facial expression softened when she looked at the fear that was evident in Rachel's wide eyes. "He shouldn't bother you the rest of the day."

Quinn stepped up to Rachel. She'd left her hiding spot the moment she watched Finn put his hand on the shorter girl, but Santana had gotten to him before she could. "If he bothers you again, tell one of us and we'll take care of him."

Rachel felt herself start to tremble. The reality of the situation had finally started to sink in. He'd never caused her to feel such a fear before. The minute he grabbed her, she began to realize what kind of a guy he really was. When her knees started to buckle, she felt two sets of arms around her to keep her from falling. "Th-thanks…"

Santana's eyes widened at the reaction she was seeing in Rachel. "Has… he ever hurt you Rachel?" She asked gingerly. It was rare for Santana to call her by her given name instead of her surname.

Upon hearing it, Rachel visibly relaxed. She shook her head before taking a deep breath to calm the rest of her nerves. "Never. I promise I'll inform one of you if he bothers me." Rachel made sure her locker was locked before glancing up at Quinn. "We need to hurry before we're late." Before the blonde could object, her hand was grabbed and she was led toward their first class.

"Bye San!" Quinn called out to her friend before she was dragged out of the Latina's sight. "Once they turned the corner, Quinn sped up her pace to match Rachel's. "So, what was that with Finn?"

"Nothing, I just… I should have listened to you." Rachel flopped down in her normal chair, Quinn right beside her. "Somewhere deep inside of me, I always knew you were right."

"We can talk Later Rachel. There are too many ears in here." Quinn threw a glare to a few of the other students that had watched them from the moment they entered the room.

Rachel only nodded. She knew that the population in the hallway already knew what had happened between her and her boyfriend. A private matter was now at the forefront of everybody's conversations. She also feared that rumors would start circulating about herself and Quinn, simply because Finn was a bigot. Rachel felt horrible. Her failing relationship with Finn would most likely lead to a failed friendship with Quinn.

* * *

After their Calculus class, the only time during the day that Rachel saw Quinn was lunch. Thankfully, as the day went on, Finn had kept his distance. But, there was one time of the day that she couldn't avoid him. Glee. The last period of the day. She stopped just outside of the choir room to compose her nerves. A smile came to her face as she entered the room. Toward the back, she spotted Quinn laughing along with Brittany. Santana was idly filing her nails to Brittany's left. These were her closest friends. They were the three people she wouldn't trade anything for.

Brittany was the one to spot her standing near the piano. "Come on Rachel!" She called out, waving her up to join them.

"Hey guys." Rachel smiled brightly at the girls who had become her best friends. Since she was turned to face them, she didn't notice Finn enter the room.

Santana, on the other hand, had a sense for those things. She was facing her hand, but her eyes were locked with him until he took a seat on the opposite side of the room. "I think we'll all be happy once today's over with." The Latina spoke loud enough, wanting Finn to hear her.

"I know I can't wait. I miss Beth, and I'm off tonight." Quinn spoke with a huge smile on her face.

"Speaking of her, she was a perfect angel this weekend." Puck took up residence in a chair behind Quinn. He was sporting a smile very similar to Quinn's when he had spoken.

Rachel took a moment to watch as they interacted with one another. She had always thought they would make a wonderful couple. Then she thought back to the numerous times she'd mentioned it to Quinn, only to be laughed at. To Quinn, Puck had become nothing more than a friend. Just like she was to Quinn… a friend.

Santana's eyes had since moved away from Finn to focus on Rachel. The Latina was curious as to what was going through her fellow brunette's head. It was like Santana could see the gears turning in Rachel's head. A smirk came to her own face once she realized the petite diva was staring at Quinn. _I knew it!_ Santana did a small internal cheer before her thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Schuester entering the room. She tuned out half of what he was saying, as she always did. Instead, she began formulating a plan.

Get Rachel and Quinn together.

* * *

"Mommy!" Beth yelled out the minute Quinn entered the house. "I missed you." The girl wrapped her arms around the taller blonde's legs, hugging her tightly.

"Oh… mommy missed you too honey." Quinn leaned down and easily picked up her little girl. She pressed several kisses all over Beth's face, smiling as the girl started giggling uncontrollably.

"Quinnie, how was school?" Judy smiled warmly at her daughter and granddaughter's interaction.

Quinn grumbled under her breath as she instantly remembered everything that had happened during the day. The only thing she could find herself focusing on, was Rachel. She found herself thinking about the brunette non-stop lately. But, she couldn't figure out why. "Rachel had an incident with Finn."

"Is she alright? You know honey, I never did care for that boy when you were with him."

"I was only with him because it's what Russell wanted…" Quinn placed her daughter back on the floor and proceeded to gather the young girl's belongings. "Guess what Beth?"

"What?"

"Brittany and Santana are coming over tonight." Quinn chuckled at the million dollar smile that came to Beth's face. The young mother loved that her daughter absolutely adored her friends. Especially Rachel. Those two were inseparable whenever Rachel would visit.

"Rachel too?"

"No, not tonight honey. Maybe tomorrow. Mommy's off work again. How about I call Rachel later and you can ask her?"

"Okay!" Beth went right back to her building blocks.

Judy laughed at her granddaughter. "She loved Rachel doesn't she?"

"She definitely does." Quinn grabbed Beth's diaper bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Are you ready to head home Beth?"

"I don't get it Quinn," Judy said with a heavy sigh. "I've got plenty of room here for both of you. Why do you still do this to yourself? All you do is work and go to school. If you lived here, you wouldn't have to work that job of yours as much and you could completely focus on school, just like you should."

Quinn ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "We've already had this conversation mom."

"You've proved that you could do it on your own. Just come home already. You're still a teenager. You should be able to go out with your friends Quinn. I've told you several times, that I would watch Beth so you could have some free time. And, if you lived here, it would make everything easier." Judy found herself pleading with her daughter.

The teen grit her teeth. After a moment to curb her building anger, she decided to speak. "We're Fabrays mom. Fabrays don't take the easy way out." She hated the fact that she had just channeled one of her father's favorite sayings. "Truth be told, I love living on my own. I love my job, and I love being the one to provide for my daughter. I'm still easily able to pull a 4.0 in school. I appreciate every way you do help me mom. But, I don't need anything else. I can do it on my own, and I'm proud to be able to say that I'm an 18 year old, single mother, who can take care of my child. I'm not just another statistic, nor do I choose to ever become one."

It was bad enough that she'd become another teenage pregnancy statistic. A silly mistake at a party with Puck put her in that situation. But, Quinn didn't let the pregnancy ruin her. At the time, it caused her to lose her family and she was forced to rely on her friends. Once she had Beth, she was able to find a job and get herself fully emancipated from her parents. That was when Judy came back into her life. To say she was leery, was an understatement. She was offered a home with her mother, but refused it. She wasn't sure if she could trust Judy again after what had happened when she told them she was pregnant. But time had passed, Quinn became settled into her current apartment, and Judy and Quinn had mended their relationship.

The older woman couldn't help the smile that grew on her lips. "I am proud of you too Quinn. More so than I think you'll ever know. You're turning into a very strong-willed young woman. Don't let that make you too proud to ever ask for help though. Please, know and understand that I'll always be here to help you, no matter what the reason. Even if you just need a night to yourself to sleep… call me."

"I will, I promise." Quinn stepped closer to her mother to hug her. "I love you."

"I love you too Quinnie."

Quinn pulled away from her mother when she felt her pant leg being tugged on. "Aw, do you want a hug too?" Beth looked up at Quinn and nodded. "Alright, come here." She scooped up the girl, cradling her in her arms. "Do you want to help me with dinner when we get home?" She started heading for the front door.

"For Brittany and Santy?"

"And for us too, silly." Quinn turned back to her mom once she reached the door. "We'll see you in the morning mom. Wave bye to Grammy Beth."

"Bye Gammy. Love you!" She blew the older blonde a kiss before waving.

"Love you more Beth." Judy blew a kiss back to the girl. "Drive carefully Quinn."

* * *

_**There's chapter 5 for you. Hope you enjoyed it. The last scene with Quinn and Judy was a spur of the moment add-on, since the chapter originally ended after Santana's plotting. The chapter was way too short, I needed to add more in there. I know people won't mind.  
**_

_**Leave a review, let me know what you think so far. As I said in the beginning, ideas are always welcome, even leaving a few words in a review can spark new ideas for me.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_I never thought I'd see the day where I deleted a review that I had received. I'm sorry, but if you're going to hide behind the guest feature that I'm still allowing, then I will not take your review seriously. Have you not noticed that you're on a website called fanfiction. Meaning, that not everything you read is going to follow the storyline of the series. I'm the one who decided to make it a consensual thing between Quinn and Puck. That was my choice for this story. I am in no way condoning the seriousness of rape. These are stories. Fictional stories about fictional characters. Don't read them if you don't like them._**

**_With that being said, I'm now moderating all of the guest reviews I receive. I fully support people's freedom of speech, but not when it comes to badgering the author. If you're not going to offer any constructive criticism, then your review will not be accepted. I'm not going to apologize for this change, and I hope people will understand that. It was either that, or disable anonymous reviews. Which I've said in a previous chapter, I don't want to do, because there are real people out there who simply choose to not make an account. That is not fair to them._**

**_There's a little bit in the chapter with Santana's interaction with Beth, as well as Rachel's later on. It's not much on Rachel's part, but there will be a lot more soon. Trust me. If not in chapter 7 than definitely in chapter 8._**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 6_**

"Hey B."

The blonde didn't look up from her place on the floor with Beth, but, she does answer. "Yea San?"

Santana rolled onto her stomach so she could see her girlfriend. She couldn't help herself as she made a face at Beth, causing the little girl to giggle at her. "I think Berry likes Q."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "I've known that for months. It's obvious that Rachel likes Quinn."

The Latina puffed out her cheeks at Beth, laughing when the girl smacked her hands on her face to push out the air. "You're silly Beth." She turned to look at her girlfriend again, "how do you know? Berry tell you?" She puffed out her cheeks again at Beth.

"I not silly. You sill Santy." Beth smacked her hands on Santana's cheeks, giggling when a burst of air hit her in the face.

"It's obvious. They're close like we are." Brittany rolled her eyes. "Anybody can see it."

"Anybody can see what?" Quinn entered the room, carrying two bowls and a sippy cup tucked under her arm.

"That Beth here is a brat." Santana suddenly grabbed the girl, rolled onto her back, and held her above herself.

"Let me down!" Beth squeaked out around her laughter. "Mommy, help!" She tried reaching for Quinn, but it didn't help that Santana's fingers were digging into her sides, causing her to squirm.

"Nah, I think you're good baby." Quinn laughed at her friend's interaction with her daughter as she placed the two bowls as well as the cup down on the nightstand.

Santana finally let the girl flop onto the bed. Beth quickly scampered away from the Latina and up to her mother's side. "Santy's mean!" She huffed into her mother's shirt, her eyes never leaving Santana.

"Honey, I know Santy's mean."

"Hey! I resent that." Santana sat upright again and fixed her t-shirt.

"You can be kind of mean sometimes San."

"Come on," she whined, "why is everybody ganging up on me?"

Quinn grabbed one of the bowls with cut up fruit in it and offered a piece to Beth. "I don't know, maybe because you're an easy target?"

Santana just rolled her eyes before laughing. Her hand stretched out to reach into the bowl to grab a few pieces of strawberry.

"Mommy?" Beth looked up at her mother. Once Quinn looked down at her, she continued, "They said Rachel likes you."

Quinn's eyebrows shut up to her hairline. "Oh, they did, did they?" She looked at her two friends, who were both trying to look innocent. Brittany even whistled softly. "Guys… you should know by now that Beth repeats almost everything she hears." She helped Beth get settled onto her lap. "What makes you say that anyway?"

"Because she totally does. All of us can see it. You're the only one that can't for some reason."

"That's because she's not gay B. She's dating Finn anyway." _Though, not for much longer_. Quinn cradled Beth in her arms, allowing the girl to relax.

"Speaking of Finn, he needs to go suck a-"

"Santana Lopez! You finish that sentence I'm going to hurt you." Quinn cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "Don't be saying those things around Beth."

The Latina felt a blush come to her cheeks as she looked down shamefully at her hands. "Sorry…" Her eyes shot up when Quinn chuckled at her. "Anyway, after that crap he pulled today in the hallway, he does. She needs to dump his sorry behind."

Quinn shook her head at her friend. She had to admit, it was a little humorous to see Santana struggling to watch her language. Humorous, and a little odd. She sat for a moment to think about what Brittany had said. First, it was Santana on Saturday morning that had brought it up. Then Finn said something about it, but his was obviously out of anger and jealousy. Now, Brittany was bringing it up. Rachel was just her friend. Nothing more. Quinn just couldn't see what everybody else was seeing. She wasn't even attracted to girls.

"I'm not gay guys. Neither is she."

"She's bi though." Brittany finally stood up from the floor and sat on the edge of the bed near Santana.

The Latina's head spun around so quickly that it made Quinn dizzy for a moment. "How in the world do you know that Britt?"

Brittany shrugged, "she told me. I thought everybody knew that. It is kind of obvious San."

Quinn leaned back against her headboard to simply watch her friends. Beth was content staying snuggled on her lap and munching on a few pieces of cut up fruit. So, she found it okay to let her thoughts wander. How had she never known Rachel was bisexual? She quickly replayed several events in her mind. Any event she could recall that would have told her that Rachel was, in fact, bisexual.

_"Being raised by two gay dads has shown me not to ever be afraid of who I am. Sexuality is fluid. Nobody should ever be judged for whom they were to fall in love with. At this point in time, I just happen to be in love with a lovely young man."_

That was the only instance that came to her mind. It was Rachel coming to the defense of Brittany and Santana when they came out in Glee, only to be met with mixed responses. That was during junior year. Quinn was suddenly beating herself up for not noticing it then. What kind of a friend was she for not even knowing?

"Yo, Earth to Quinn."

She was pulled away from her thoughts when Santana waved a hand in front of her face. "Sorry, what?"

"I said, your phone went off. You thinking about Berry?" She grinned at her own question.

"No, just zoned out some." Truth was, she couldn't stop thinking about Rachel. Quinn reached for her phone and unlocked the screen before looking at the text she'd received.

_Rachel: I broke up with Finn…_

_Quinn: Are you okay? You want to come over? San and B are here_

"Rachel just broke up with Finn." She didn't look up from her phone.

"It's about time!" Santana started cheering. "Wait… she okay?"

Quinn only shrugged. "Don't know yet."

* * *

"Hey Rach, what are you doing here?" A dopey smile came to Finn's face as he opened the front door to see his girlfriend standing there.

She invited herself inside. Rachel never once lifted her eyes off of the floor. "We need to talk."

"Um, alright… what's up babe?"

She carefully took a seat on the sofa before lifting her gaze to look up at him. "How can you pretend like it didn't mean anything?"

He shrugged, "it really wasn't that big of a deal Rachel."

"To me it was! I lost my virginity to you and you don't even seem to care."

"I don't understand why you're so upset. It happened. So be it." He decided to sit on the sofa beside her, frowning when she only moved away from him.

"Quinn was right from the beginning. You've only ever been after one thing from me. Nothing's changed in our relationship, and I'm finally realizing that nothing will."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what I said Finn. You still treat me like I'm below you. I've always been your equal Finn, and for some unknown reason, you can't seem to get that into your head."

He huffed out a bit of laughter. "You'd still be at the bottom of the totem pole if it wasn't for me."

"No, you had nothing to do with that. You make no attempt to prevent the slushies or insults from flying at me."

"What, you expect me to get slushied too? I don't think so."

Rachel could feel her own anger building. It wasn't often that she lost her temper, but listening to the words that were coming out of his mouth, was pushing her close to the edge. "Quinn and Santana don't get slushied for protecting me. They stand up to the jocks – your so-called friends. They don't suffer any repercussions from it. If you really loved me, you would do the same."

"I do love you Rachel, what are you getting it? I took a huge hit to my own reputation just to be seen with you. Isn't that enough to make you happy? Look at everything _I_ gave up for you."

She laughed bitterly as she stood. "But everything I gave up means nothing. I can't do this with you anymore Finn."

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head before finally locking eyes with him. "I'm breaking up with you. I can't be your girlfriend anymore, when it's quite obvious that you don't love me the way you claim you do." Rachel ignored his pleas to her as she walked out the front door.

She wasn't sure if she felt relieved, or scared. The way he had grabbed her in the hallway earlier that day had nearly scared her to death. She suddenly feared what he would do now that she had broken up with him. Rachel had done a lot of thinking since the day she'd slept with him. Even thinking before that as well. Every time Quinn mentioned that she should dump him, she took her words into consideration. But then an overwhelming fear of abandonment would wash over her body and she would stay with Finn – continuing to put up with him.

It was one problem that Rachel knew all too well that she had. She clung to new things that entered her life. Be it objects, or people. Rachel would hold them dearly, almost to the point of pushing them away. It was why people hated her so much. Or at least, why she thought that people hated her. She knew she could get excitable very easily.

As she climbed into her car, some things were starting to become clear to her. While Finn always shot her excitement down, Quinn would encourage it. Quinn would even join her in something new she wanted to try, while Finn would just talk her out of it, telling her it was stupid and pointless. Even Santana and Brittany would give it a go. But never Finn. Never the one person she actually expected to join her.

Before starting her car's engine, she pulled out her phone to send a quick text to Quinn.

_Rachel: I broke up with Finn…_

The response came only a few moments later, causing Rachel to smile.

_Quinn: Are you okay? Do you want to come over? San and B are here_

Her smile only grew. Quinn always cared about her wellbeing. Without sending a response, Rachel turned on her car's engine and backed out of Finn's driveway to begin the very familiar journey across town to Quinn's apartment.

* * *

"When are we eating, I'm starving!" Santana threw herself down onto her back, hands gripping her stomach.

"It was ready when you two got here. You know where the plates are, go and help yourself. I know you're not helpless." Quinn carefully moved Beth's sleeping form off of her body to lay on the bed beside her before she stood up. "I'm getting a little hungry too."

The trio made their way out of Quinn's bedroom and into the kitchen to get their dinner. The moment Quinn sat at the small table, her doorbell rang.

"I got it!" Brittany announced, standing from her chair to go to the front door. "Hey Rachel!" The dancer pulled the smaller girl into a hug. "Quinn told us what happened. Are you like… okay?"

Rachel gratefully returned the hug she'd received before kicking off her shoes just inside the door. "I'm okay, I promise. It was a long time coming."

"Britt, who is it?" Quinn's voice echoed out from the kitchen.

The diva made her way down the hallway and into the kitchen at the end. "Started eating without me?" She walked to Quinn's side and grabbed her fork to help herself to a bite.

"You okay?" Quinn asked carefully, unsure of how Rachel truly was doing.

"I'm good. I promise." She made her way to the cabinet to get a plate, then stopped at the stove to scoop some pasta out of the pot.

"You seem way too chipper for someone who just dumped the 'love of their life.'" Santana watched the petite girl very closely.

"I'll have you know Santana, it was a long time coming. I am just fine. Would you like to know why?" She took up the last seat at the table, which happened to be between Quinn and Santana.

Quinn swallowed the food that was in her mouth before speaking, "why's that?"

"Because I'm here, with the three girls who are my best friends. And I've never felt more at home than I do when I'm near the three of you." _Especially Quinn._ She glanced to her right, smiling softly at Quinn.

It didn't go unnoticed by Santana though, who decided to point it out. "So, Rachel, now that you're single, you ready to mingle with Quinn?"

Rachel's eyes grew wide and Quinn started to choke some on her food. "Santana! How many times do we have to tell you."

Before the Latina could come up with a good comeback, she was interrupted by a small voice in the doorway. "Mommy, I hungry."

"Well look who it is." Rachel put her fork down on her plate and turned to the girl.

"Rachel!" Beth squealed as she ran to the brunette. She helped herself up into the girl's lap and hugged her tightly. "Mommy said you not come."

"Well, your mommy didn't know I was going to come over." Rachel helped the small blonde get settled onto her lap before reaching for her fork to give it to Beth. "You can eat some of mine."

Quinn tilted her head to the side to get a better look at the pair beside her. It was absolutely adorable to watch them together. It made her heart swell. But with what? Love? Santana couldn't possibly be right, could she? Quinn dared to look at her best friend who was eyeing her suspiciously. "God Santana, don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" The Latina started smirking. She knew exactly what Quinn was talking about. "I just feel that I know something that you don't."

"What do you know that I don't?" Quinn continued to challenge her best friend with narrowed eyes.

Rachel finally looked up from helping Beth eat some of her food to watch the interaction. She was just as confused as Quinn was. "What are you talking about Santana?"

"It's obvious really. You two are just too blind to see what's literally sitting right beside you." She scooped some food into her mouth, then took a drink from her glass before continuing, "you two have been glued at the hip ever since Q here slept with Puckerman. Now, that Rachel's slept with Frankenteen, it's turning into a giant repeat." Her eyes softened slightly when she saw Rachel visibly tense at her words. "Listen, it was a mistake, I get that. We've all made mistakes. But, it's those mistakes that bring us even closer to the people that we love." Santana smiled warmly at Brittany as she reached over to take the dancer's hand.

"When did you get so philosophical?"

Santana suddenly cringed. "Oh god, I've been spending too much time around Berry." She shook her head several times, drawing laughter from Rachel and Quinn, as well as a soft giggle from Brittany.

"It is certainly not a bad thing to be around me too much and you know it Santana." Rachel reached for Quinn's glass to let Beth drink out of it, since she had not gotten one for herself before sitting down.

"San's right. You guys are totally cute together." Brittany watched as a blush crept onto Quinn's cheeks, while Rachel seemingly looked unphased.

"I'm not gay." Quinn glanced at the diva beside her, smiling at her making faces at Beth.

"I didn't think I was gay either, until Brittany." Santana smirked at the way the blonde mother blushed a darker shade of red.

Quinn suddenly pushed herself away from the table and stood up. She wasn't sure what she was feeling at that moment, but what she did know, was that she needed a minute to herself. She ignored the way her friends called out to her. Quinn walked into her bedroom and shut the door behind her.

Santana's words shouldn't be effecting her the way they were. She wasn't gay, nor did she have any interest in women. But why was the way she looked at Rachel different than how she looked at Santana and Brittany? It didn't make sense. She wasn't gay… was she? Quinn ran her fingers through her hair as she sat on the edge of her bed.

What confused her the most, was that she could easily see herself with Rachel.

"Quinn?"

The blonde looked up to see Brittany slowly opening her bedroom door. "I just need a minute B."

The dancer didn't listen to her as she walked into the room, and shut the door behind her. "Santana's just saying what she sees. You know she's good like that."

"I know… that's why I'm scared."

"Why are you scared?" Brittany took up residence beside her on the bed. "You don't need to be scared."

"I'm not gay though."

"Neither is Rachel if you think about it."

Quinn sat in silence for a moment, taking in Brittany's words. She didn't want to admit it, she couldn't admit it. She feared that they were right. Maybe she wasn't gay. But, was she bisexual? Quinn didn't know.

"Okay, see if this helps you." Brittany turned, tucking her left leg under her right, in order to look right at Quinn. "Can you see your life without Rachel in it?" Quinn honestly shook her head no. "Alright, how do you feel every time you see Rachel?"

"Happy." Once again, Quinn was being honest. She did feel happy whenever she saw Rachel, regardless of the context of their interaction.

"So, do you feel the same kind of happy when you see me or San?" Brittany watched as Quinn shook her head no again. She started smiling, knowing that she was helping Quinn to figure things out. "Do you get this fluttering feeling in your stomach when you hug her?" Quinn nodded. Brittany knew she was starting to break through Quinn's barriers when she saw the other blonde look down at the floor with her eyes closed. "I think you know that what you feel for Rachel is exactly what Santana sees."

Quinn couldn't stop the sob that finally broke free from her lips. Brittany was right. The fact that she broke it down the way she did, only helped to prove her point. Things were a little more clear to her now. Soon, she felt Brittany wrap her arms around her body.

Quinn Fabray… loved Rachel Berry.

* * *

**_Some revelations on Quinn's behalf in this chapter. Next chapter will contain asshole Finn and some more bonding with Quinn and Rachel (Perhaps... I'm not done chapter 7 yet lol) BUT, I work 11a-7p tomorrow at work, and then I'm off for the weekend. Which means I'm going to get a bunch of writing done :D. Including work on an original piece. My best friend told me that I should turn The First 24 into something original, so that's what I'm going to be doing.  
_**

**_Writing has always been something I've loved doing. Obviously... I've been writing stories on here since 2001, and I'm still going. I feel it's about time I branch off into something more serious, and possibly life changing._**

**_Anyway, I'm done my mini-rant. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Remember, guest reviews ARE still welcome, I'll just be moderating them before they actually get published. And if I'm awake when the review comes through, and the review isn't completely hateful, it should be approved almost instantly. :)_**

**_See you in a day or so with chapter 7!_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Let's all have a laugh at the one review I received after the last chapter :) _**

You can't take me seriously because I haven't made an account? Make Finn the  
asshole (who tbf has been an asshole), but make the show rapist a nice guy.  
Fictional stories do not exist in a vacuum. Fiction exists in the real world  
and affects the world we live in. I bet you just love ships where girls get  
raped by the guy. You're a disgusting human. You could have at least made the  
baby father Sam. A nice person who pretty much has said one bad thing. You are  
a rape supporter and why nobody takes the crime seriously. Turning canon  
rapists into better characters for the sake of plot, is belittling what  
happened to her character in the show. I hope you get educated.

**_Yes, I'm aware that you'll just continue to spam my reviews, as you did with chapter 6 (I believe you sent me 5 of them, calling me a joke and supporting rape). I felt like sharing this one with everybody. I hate to tell you... nothing exists in a vacuum. Story or not. Fictional stories are there to paint a portrait about how the author wishes things to be portrayed. If I followed the story of the show perfectly, Quinn would not have her baby, and her and Rachel would not be getting together in this story. Quinn wouldn't be working in a little cafe, nor having her own apartment in Lima, Ohio. Just saying._**

**_Thank you for continuing my entertainment with this story :) Regardless of what you think, I WILL continue this story and The First 24 how I want. Puck will continue to be a good guy in this story, and Quinn will keep her baby in the other story. As I've told you before, don't read them if you don't like them. _**

**_For those who love this story, thank you for your amazing support and the say you've been spamming that review button! I was so shocked to see I'm almost at 80 reviews for just 6 chapters. I can't wait to see what it'll get up to after this chapter!_**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 7_**

Quinn Fabray had always been a master at hiding secrets. Especially about herself. When she'd discovered she was pregnant, she was able to hide the truth from Finn for nearly two months. Finally, her guilty conscious had gotten the better of her, and she told him over dinner one night. Her lie, had led to the inevitable downward spiral of her sophomore year. She'd lost her family and a majority of the people whom she'd once considered her friends.

This secret, though, was different. It wouldn't hurt anybody by simply keeping her feelings to herself.

It had been two days since her revelation with Brittany over Rachel. Even though she now knew that Rachel was bisexual, she couldn't make any moves on her. The brunette had just broken up with her boyfriend, and was vulnerable. It wouldn't be right to pursue anything. No matter how much she suddenly felt like she wanted to.

She wouldn't risk their friendship anyway. Being near Rachel as her friend was better than not being around her at all.

"Quinn," Rachel called out to her in the hallway.

They were between third and fourth period. Next, and finally class of the day, Glee. It was a class where, the day before, Finn had not shown up. Not like either of them really minded, though.

"Hey Rach." Quinn smiled down at her friend, slowing her pace to match that of Rachel's.

Just as Rachel opened her mouth to say something else, they both felt the very painful, very familiar sting of slushie to their faces.

"Dykes!" It was soon followed by the sound of laughter and a high-five.

Quinn, though, had recognized one of the voices before she even cleared the icy syrup from her eyes. Finn. "You're dead Hudson." She dropped her books to the floor before the liquid from her eyes. Without a second thought, she started to storm off after him.

"What are you gonna do Quinn?" That same smirk he always sported, came to his lips.

She snarled as she came toe to toe with him. "This." Her knee quickly came up to meet his groin. A triumphant smirk overtook her face as he fell to the ground, hands covering his crotch. "Jerk," she spat at him.

Rachel had cleaned the slushie from her eyes and watched the whole exchange in shock. Finn had never protected her like that she she'd been on the receiving end of a slushie. Though, she didn't support violence in the least, watching Quinn protect her, felt right.

"You okay?" Quinn reached out to pluck a few pieces of ice from Rachel's hair.

She found herself fighting off the urge to lean into her hand. "Yes Quinn, I'm just fine." She looked past her to see him just starting to stand up. "Let's go get cleaned up for Glee." Rachel shook her head at Finn before starting to follow Quinn into the nearest bathroom to wash the slushie off.

* * *

"What the hell happened to you two?" Santana stood up to get a better look at her two friends once they entered the choir room. Quinn's shirt had an obvious red tint to it, even her hair was slightly pink from the syrup. Rachel's shirt, which was originally yellow, now appeared to be a blue-green mixture.

"Ask Finn."

"Imma kill him." Before Santana could go after the boy, Brittany pulled her back down to her seat. "Let me go Britt."

"I don't want you to get in trouble."

Rachel and Quinn ignored the looks they received, as well as the whispers they heard as they took two of the seats near Brittany, Santana, and Puck.

"Mr. Schue," Finn stood up as soon as the teacher entered the room, late as always. "I have a song I'd like to sing today."

The teacher seemed a little taken aback by the sudden request to sing. "Alright Finn." He placed his papers on the piano before sitting off to the side.

"This is a song for Rachel." He glared at her momentarily.

"Great, another ballad." Mercedes grumbled near the back of the room.

Finn only laughed at her. "Not even close."

When the first few chords of the song started from the band, Quinn recognized the song. It took all she had not to spring up and beat him senseless.

**_Beauty over wisdom to fit in with their styles  
Your Cinderella story's for a price  
Vanity's a business built to please the unique  
Silicone and stars collide, the rest will fall in line_**

**_Just as beautiful as you are_**  
**_It's so pitiful what you are_**  
**_You should have seen this coming all along_**

**_Visually you're stimulating to my eyes_**  
**_Your Cinderella syndrome's full of lies_**  
**_Your insecurities are concealed by your pride_**  
**_Pretty soon your ego will kill what's left inside_**

**_Just as beautiful as you are_**  
**_It's so pitiful what you are_**  
**_You should have seen this coming all along_**

**_It's so pitiful what you are_**  
**_As beautiful as you are_**  
**_You should have seen this coming all along_**

**_You're everything that's so typical_**  
**_Maybe you're alone for a reason_**  
**_You're the reason_**

**_It's so pitiful what you are_**  
**_You should have seen this coming all along_**

**_Just as beautiful as you are_**  
**_It's so pitiful what you are_**  
**_You should have seen this coming all along_**

**_It's so pitiful what you are_**  
**_As beautiful as you are_**  
**_You should have seen this coming all along_**

"Good job Finn." Mr. Schuester was the only one to start clapping. Everybody else in the room, just shifted their gaze uncomfortably from Rachel to Finn. Except for Quinn, and Santana, who were both seething.

"What the actual fuck?" Santana ignored the way Mr. Schuester was scolding her for her language. "She broke up with you. That doesn't give you the right to slushie her. You're the dumbass that should have seen it coming with how you treated her like shit. You're nothing but a big baby who's crying over losing his favorite toy." The Latina folded her arms over her chest, throwing a devil's stare in his direction.

"She deserved that slushie today."

"What about Quinn? She didn't do anything, why'd she get one too?"

"I don't need to answer to you Satan. Rachel's the one who broke my heart. She should have seen that slushie coming."

"You used her." Quinn finally looked up at him, halfway through the song, Rachel had grabbed her hand. Quinn was hurting just as much as Rachel was at that moment. "You treated her horribly, made her feel like shit, and used her."

"She'd be nothing if it wasn't for me."

"Wow…" It was Tina to finally speak up. "She may annoy all of us, but she's got feelings too Finn."

"What about me? Doesn't anybody care what I'm going through right now?" He threw his hands up, anger starting to take over.

"Not really. This is just you searching for attention." Santana smirked at him. She could tell he was getting angry.

"Guys, lay off." Mr. Shuester stood up and placed a comforting hand on the tall boy's shoulder.

Santana and Quinn rolled their eyes at exactly the same time. "Of course you're standing up for him. He's a perfect little angel. Nobody ever sees all the horrible things he does. Like, for perfect example…" Quinn motioned down to her own stained clothing. "You and everybody else in this place turns a blind eye to this sad excuse for a young man who obviously has separation and anger issues."

"What is your problem Fabray? Are you just upset that nobody wants you because of that bastard child of yours."

Quinn visibly flinched. The moment Finn finished his sentence, though, Puck and Santana were heading toward him.

Mr. Schuester stood in between his golden boy and the two raging students to try to prevent the fight from even starting. "Why don't we all just calm down. Finn, you've said your peace. Quinn, you've said yours. Just let it go now."

The blonde mother closed her eyes to calm down. Once she realized it wasn't helping, she retracted her hand from Rachel's and stood to leave the room. "There you go Quinn, run away like you always do." Finn called out after her, but she was already out the door.

She knew she shouldn't listen to him. But how can she not when his words were true. Who would want an 18 year old who had a nearly two year old daughter? A stray tear slid down her cheek as her feet carried her across the parking lot as quickly as they could. Once Quinn was safely in her car, she lost control of her emotions. She was crying over something that her ex-boyfriend said to her. Usually, she wasn't so emotional over things people said to her. Her skin became thick during the non-stop insults she endured during her pregnancy.

Quinn cursed her emotions as she started her engine to go home. Work that evening was going to be interesting. Especially if she was unable to curb her thoughts.

* * *

Two more days had passed. Rachel started dreading going into school. She no longer felt safe being around just Quinn, as Quinn had also become a daily slushie victim. The only time they were safe, was when Santana was nearby to scare off any potential slushie wielders.

She took a deep breath. Having an innate ability to sense someone near her, often helped her prepare for incoming slughies. Her sense was proving useful when she felt a presence behind her.

"At least allow me to place my books in my locker so they won't be damaged…" She dared to glance over her shoulder, her body instantly tensing when her eyes fell on Finn. "And what can I help you with, Finn?"

"When are you going to knock this off and get back with me? I miss you."

"Yes, of course you miss me. That's exactly why you have slushies thrown in mine and Quinn's faces every day." She rolled her eyes at him. Seeing him was not something she wanted to start her day with.

"You can't blame me for that Rachel. I do have a reputation to uphold here. I can't just look like a loser because you broke up with me." Finn leaned against the locker beside Rachel.

"Always worried about your own popularity. But tell me something Finn," she closed her locker door before looking up at him, "are you happy? Figure that one out, then come back to talk to me." She quickly walked away from him. Rachel hated the fact that she cringed every time she saw Finn. Ever since he had grabbed her, she felt uncomfortable around him. Honestly, she feared that he would do more to hurt her.

Rachel shook the thoughts from her head as she entered her first class. The day had already started off badly, but at least she hadn't been slushied first thing in the morning as she had been over the past several days. A smile broke out on her face when she spotted Quinn already sitting at their shared table.

"Morning Rach." Quinn smiled up at her when she sat down beside her. "It's nice to not have any slushies thrown on us for once." She laughed softly at herself.

Rachel returned the smile before looking down at her belongings and opening up her binder. "I ran into Finn this morning." She didn't look up from her binder as she pulled out her homework from the night before.

Quinn cringed at the mere sound of the boy's name. She glanced at her friend, making sure there was no sign of slushie on her. Once she was satisfied that there wasn't, she decided to speak. "What did he want?" Quinn was almost afraid to ask.

Rachel laughed softly. "He wanted to know how long I'd keep this up before getting back with him." Quinn snorted out her own bit of laughter. "He really thinks that I'll give him another chance after everything that's happened."

"Well… it wouldn't be the first time you've just forgiven him to take him back."

Rachel sighed. She knew she'd made mistakes numerous times when it came to Finn. She'd always been so terrified of being alone that she let him do anything he wanted and she'd just take him back without a second thought. Things were different now, though. One glance at Quinn told her things were different. She wasn't going to be alone. Rachel smiled softly at the blonde, the smile growing when Quinn blushed. "I'm done with him. You and Santana are right. He is nothing but a big child."

"I'm glad you finally see what we see. I told you, you wouldn't see it until you broke up with him."

The way Quinn smiled at her caused her heart to flutter. Rachel took another moment to take in Quinn's appearance. She'd be stupid if she couldn't admit that Quinn was absolutely gorgeous. She's always been able to admit that. But, with Santana's words playing in her head, she felt as though she was seeing Quinn in a whole new light.

But, she couldn't risk her friendship with Quinn to even try anything. She refused to lose a friend over feelings she wasn't even sure were legitimate.

* * *

"Yo Berry, wait up!" Santana called out after Glee had finished. She glared at Quinn long enough to cause the blonde to roll her eyes and leave the pair alone. "Walk with me for a minute."

The diva eyed her friend suspiciously before starting to walk beside her, "how may I help you Santana?"

"I see the way you look at Q. When are you gonna do something about it?"

Rachel quickly blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Santana sighed. "Why does everybody play dumb with me? I'm not blind. You should totally give it a shot."

"I'm not going to try to get with Quinn just because you think we should."

"Sill Rachel. Quinn wants you too."

The diva shook her head as the pair exited through the front door and started to make their way toward the parking lot. "I refuse to risk my friendship with her because of something that you think."

A huge smirk came to Santana's face. "Thank you for just admitting that you want her." She cracked up laughing when Rachel grumbled, obviously frustrated at her. "See Berry, whether you like it or not, I'm always right. I was right about you liking her, why are you so afraid that I might just be right about her liking you." Santana threw a finger up to stop Rachel from starting to talk. "B and I have been her friends for years. The way she is with you is totally different than how she is with us. She cuddles with you, invites you over all the time, takes slushies for you. Don't be stupid Rachel. It's all right there. Just open your eyes to see it."

Rachel stayed silent for a moment as she looked over to where Quinn was parked. After the blonde tossed her bag into the back seat, she spotted Rachel looking and waved with a huge smile on her face. "What if you're wrong Santana?"

"When's the last time I've been wrong?" Santana challenged without missing a beat. "You're staying with her tonight, right?" Rachel nodded. "I say you flirt with her, see how she reacts." Santana wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Maybe you can get freaky with Fabray."

"Santana!"

"Oh, like you haven't thought about it." Rachel remained silent, glaring at the Latina in the process, "Fine, but you should give it a show. You and Quinn make each other happy. I've never seen Quinn as happy as she is whenever she's around you. I've learned from my time with Brittany, that you can't live life just wondering what could be. Take risks. Isn't that what Rachel Berry is all about? Striving for what she wants in life?"

Rachel looked back at Santana. "I don't even know what I want right now Santana…"

The Cheerio smiled at her friend before she spotted Quinn pulling toward them. "I think we both know what you want Rachel." She backed away from her as Quinn stopped beside them. "Bye lovies!" she winked at Quinn before turning to leave them.

"Dare I ask what she wanted?"

"Just to talk." Rachel placed her hands on the frame of Quinn's window to lean down some. "Are you on your way to get Beth?"

"Yea, so I'll be home in about an hour or so."

"Alright, I'll see you then." She smiled down at the blonde before standing upright again to go to her own car.

Having an hour or so to herself, gave her plenty of time to figure things out in her own head. She hated the possibility that Santana could be right. It was almost tempting to Rachel to actually listen to her fiery friend. _Flirt with Quinn_. The thought alone felt strange and yet, very welcoming to Rachel. To her, it seemed like something that wouldn't even be hard for her to do.

What scared her, though, was how Quinn would react…

* * *

**_Song Finn sang is 'Beautiful' by 10 Years. I was listening to music on my phone one night and heard this song, and all I could think was "This is perfect!" It's perfect for Finn to blame Rachel for everything happening to her, saying it's her own fault.  
_**

**_Let me know what you think. Ideas are welcome, since I'm no longer ahead on anything. I literally just finished this chapter about twenty minutes ago, so I'll apologize for mistakes._**

**_EDIT! I'm looking for a song that Rachel can sing in the next chapter while driving. Something about being free and seeing new things in her life or something. I'm searching now for a good song, but it tends to take me forever. So PLEASE give me some suggestions! If I pick your song, I'll give you full credit for it!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_In light of recent events regarding the passing of Cory Monteith, I've decided to change a little bit of this story. Finn is still going to be a bit of a self-centered jerk, but he's not going to be as bad as I originally planned him out to be._**

**_May Cory rest in peace and my thoughts and prayers go out to Lea, the Glee case, and his family and friends. I may not have liked the character he portrayed on the show, but I can admit that he was a good actor and a damn good vocalist._**

**_RIP Cory Monteith. You will never be forgotten…_**

* * *

**_Thank you so much for all of the song ideas. You guys had me listening to stuff that I normally wouldn't be listening to lol. My original choice for Rachel to sing in this chapter was Starts With Goodbye by Carrie Underwood._**

**_I ended up going with The Sign by Ace of Base, as recommended by MaighanW via PM to me. Here are the other suggestions:_**

**_ stef. lagle- Brave by Sara Bareilles and Uncharted by Sara Bareilles  
RB4evr - Build God Then We'll Talk by Panic At The Disco (I have to say this was an interesting suggestion for this scenario. Love Panic At The Disco though!)  
Andie (anon) - Good To You by Marianes Trench  
Sookie598 (anon) - Ready or Not by Bridgit Mendler and I Drove All Night by Cyndi Lauper  
NXgleek91 - Something In The Water by Brooke Fraser and Angels by The XX_**

**_I may end up using a song or two from these suggestions later on, if I do, I'll do the same thing and give you full credit for suggesting it :D_**

**_If I missed one, I'm sorry :( I did a real quick run through on my reviews and PMs to get everybody's name and what was suggested._**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 8_**

Shorts? Check. Tank top? Check. She zipped up her duffel bag after checking to make sure she also had clothing for the following day. "Bye Daddy. I'll be at Quinn's if you need me." She called out as she got to the bottom of the staircase.

"Rachel, wait a second."

She looked at her father while blindly slipping on her shoes. "Yes?"

"Finn's been calling the house phone non-stop since you got home. Is something going on between you and him? He never calls the house phone unless you don't answer."

The diva sighed. "He can't take no for an answer. Daddy, please just ignore his phone calls," she glanced down at her own phone to see several missed calls from her ex. "I broke up with him, and he's trying to get back with me."

Leroy raised an eyebrow at his daughter. "He never was that bright honey."

Rachel laughed. Now that she wasn't with him, and could look at him in a different light, she realized what everybody had been trying to tell her, was true. "I know Daddy… I'm leaving now before Quinn wonders where I'm at."

"Alright Rachel, tell Quinn we said hi."

"I will."

She grabbed her purse and stopped to place a kiss on her father's cheek before heading out of the house. Once Rachel was in her car, she unlocked her phone to send Quinn a quick message.

_Rachel: On my way, see you in a few_

After that message was sent, she opened up one of the many messages from Finn. She didn't even bother reading it before typing a response to him.

_Rachel: I'm spending the night with Quinn, please stop calling me or calling my house. My father's will not answer you nor will I_

Rachel quickly silenced her phone before plugging it into her AUX cable in her car. She put her playlist on shuffle and started it playing after she started her engine. It was a habit she didn't know why she even bothered with. Plug in her phone, put it on shuffle, only to scroll through several of the songs before finding what she _really_ wanted to listen to.

_How fitting…_ She laughed softly to herself at the song that started playing through her car's speakers. Rachel decided to leave it on as she hooked her seatbelt and backed out of the driveway. With most songs that came on her playlist, she couldn't stop herself from singing along to it. She even went as far as dancing slightly to the music.

**_I got a new life  
You would hardly recognize me I'm so glad  
How could a person like me care for you  
Why do I bother  
When you're not the one for me  
Oooo, is enough, enough_**

**_I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes I saw the sign_**  
**_Life is demanding without understanding_**  
**_I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes I saw the sign_**  
**_No one's gonna drag you up to get into the light where you belong_**  
**_But where do you belong_**

**_Under the pale moon_**  
**_For so many years I've wondered who you are_**  
**_How can a person like you bring me joy_**  
**_Under the pale moon_**  
**_Where I see a lot of stars_**  
**_Is enough, enough_**

**_I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes I saw the sign_**  
**_Life is demanding without understanding_**  
**_I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes I saw the sign_**  
**_No one's gonna drag you up to get into the light where you belong_**  
**_But where do you belong_**

**_Oh, oh, oh, oh._**

**_I saw the sign and it opened up my mind_**  
**_And I am happy now living without you_**  
**_I've left you, ooohhh_**  
**_I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes I saw the sign_**  
**_No one's gonna drag you up to get into the light where you belong_**

**_I saw the sign - I saw the sign - I saw the sign_**  
**_I saw the sign - I saw the sign_**  
**_I saw the sign - I saw the sign - I saw the sign_**  
**_And it opened up my eyes I saw the sign_**

The chuckled softly to herself when the song ended and the next one started to play. According to Santana, _the sign_ had been right in front of her all along. But it was up to her to actually see it…

Rachel blindly reached out to jab at the spot on her screen that would change songs. Never once did she take her eyes off of the road. She remembered the several times Quinn had yelled at her for her habit of changing songs while driving. Rachel smiled fondly, knowing she would never actually disobey anything Quinn asked her to do. It was a trait that she never felt with Finn. If Finn asked her to do something, she'd simply laugh in his face.

With Quinn, everything was different. She looked at her differently, felt differently around her. She was happy near Quinn. Around Finn, she felt like she had to watch what she said… he didn't seem to understand half of the words that came out of her mouth. Rachel felt like she spent more time explaining her sentences to him, than actually having a conversation with him. Whereas, with Quinn… Quinn challenged her intellectually. She could sit and talk with Quinn for hours on end, about nothing at all.

She never had that with Finn. He often got bored of her talking and chose to tune her out.

A smile crept to Rachel's face. She hated to admit it – Santana was right. She wanted Quinn. She wanted to be with Quinn. Quinn brought that smile to her face that nobody had done before. She felt at home with Quinn, and Beth as well. Rachel loved Quinn's daughter with all of her heart.

If Santana was right about her feelings for Quinn… was she right about Quinn's feelings for her? To Rachel, it was too big of a risk to take. She would much rather be around Quinn as they were now, then risk losing everything for something that could mean nothing at all to the blonde.

It was when Rachel pulled up behind Quinn's car on the road, that she decided. No matter how right Santana seemed, she wasn't going to risk their friendship. Rachel was just going to pretend like nothing was different, and simply spend her evening with Quinn. A girl's night in, as they had often named them. The evening would consist of Chinese food and movies, as it always did.

Having made her choice, Rachel unplugged her phone, not even glancing at it as she tossed it into her purse and climbed out of the car. She gathered up her duffel bag from the back seat and walked into Quinn's apartment building.

* * *

"Elizabeth Lucy Fabray." Quinn scolded, "I never should have told you Rachel was coming over. You need to get off of that sofa this instant!"

"No."

"What did you just say young lady?"

"No!" Beth continued jumping on the sofa, as she had been ever since Quinn told her Rachel was coming over.

Quinn frowned at her daughter, it was quiet uncommon for Beth to act out the way she was. Her mom had warned her about the terrible twos. It was becoming evident to Quinn that Beth was starting to hit that stage. "Let's hear you say no to a time out."

The moment Quinn picked up her daughter, she started crying. "No mommy! No!" Beth struggled against her mother's grip, but to no avail. "I'll be good!"

Quinn moved one of the chairs in the kitchen to the corner. "Sit. Down. You better not move from this chair until I tell you to. Got it?"

Beth continued crying, but made no attempt to move from the chair. She also didn't answer her mother either.

"You better knock it off before Rachel gets here." With that, Quinn left the kitchen. She sighed when she entered the living room and began picking up the pillows that had been thrown onto the floor. After the pillows were put back onto the sofa, she started to clean up her daughter's toys.

Just as she put the last doll into the toy box, the doorbell rang. Even with as stressed as she'd been, a smile came to her face. On the other side of that door was _the one she loved. _Quinn quickly stopped her thoughts – redirecting them to remind herself that Rachel was merely her friend. She reached out to unlock the front door, knowing that Rachel would let herself in. Quinn had to make sure Beth wasn't going to get out of the corner.

"Well, hello to you too." Rachel joked as she entered the apartment. It was rare for Quinn to just unlock the door for her as opposed to actually opening it up for her.

"Sorry, I have to make sure Beth doesn't try to get up."

"Uh oh, what happened?" Rachel kicked off her shoes at the door then placed her bag on the sofa.

Quinn grumbled. "She decided to be a little hellion once I told her you were coming over for the night." She glared at Rachel when the shorter girl giggled. "This isn't funny Rach. You should have seen how she had this place torn up just a few minutes ago. She's in a time out now." Quinn looked at the clock on the wall, "for about ten more minutes. Until then, you're not allowed in the kitchen."

Rachel looked offended. "What did I do?"

"The minute she sees you, she won't listen to me at all. Let me savor the last few minutes of control I have, please."

"Alright." She fished her phone out of her purse before placing her purse on the table by the door. She then sat on the sofa. Rachel figured that she had a few minutes to kill anyway before she could actually see Beth. She cleared her entire call history, plus rejected the call she started to receive while looking at her phone. If she had to, she decided, she would block his number.

"What's that look for?" Quinn sat down beside Rachel and leaned over to get a look at her screen.

"Quinn Fabray!" Rachel exclaimed as she leaned away from Quinn, she blushed when the blonde's body became pressed against her side. "Since when is my phone of such fascination to you?"

"Since you look like you want to kill someone." She leaned in further to grab the device from the brunette. "He is a dip isn't he?" She scrolled through some of the messages Finn had sent to Rachel.

_Finn: I'm sorry for whatever I did Rach_

_Finn: I just don't get why you're so upset. All I did was love you_

_Finn: …Have fun with Quinn_

_Finn: I miss you_

"Give me that back!" Rachel half climbed on Quinn to retrieve her phone. She cursed her shorter statue as Quinn kept it just out of her reach. She was laughing the entire time, right along with Quinn. While wrestling the device from her best friend's hand, she ended up sitting across her lap. She triumphantly snatched the phone from Quinn's hand. But, her celebration was short lived when she saw the way Quinn was looking up at her.

With the phone now forgotten, Rachel's mind finally caught up to the intimacy of the situation. She was straddling Quinn's lap. The blonde's hands had come to rest on her hips. There was a sudden urge to lean down to kiss her as she became lost in beautiful hazel eyes. Without even realizing it, she started leaning closer to the blonde.

Quinn, however, quickly became aware of the situation. She couldn't kiss Rachel. No. She refused to. Especially since Rachel had just broken up with her boyfriend a few days prior. "I should… I need to let Beth out of timeout." She spoke softly, unsure of her own voice at that moment. She cleared her throat softly to try to cover up the fact that she had started to blush at their close proximity.

"Yea… of course…" Rachel's voice was just as soft as she shifted off of Quinn's lap. She watched the blonde retreat into the kitchen. Her mind finally processed everything that had happened, well, almost happened. She'd almost kissed Quinn. She'd seen how Quinn had reacted, with shyness, and not disgust… it reminded her of Santana's words to her earlier that day.

_"flirt with her, see how she reacts."_

Rachel hated to admit it, especially since it _was_ Santana… but she may have been on to something.

"Rachel!" Beth nearly screamed, pulling Rachel out of her thoughts as she jumped into the brunette's lap.

"Hey baby." Rachel wrapped her arms around the girl, tightly, before peppering her cheeks with kisses. "I heard you were bad for mommy."

"Nuh, uh." She shook her head to deny it, but once Rachel sported a look that rivaled her own mother's, she quickly changed her mind. "Yes… but I happy to see you…"

"That doesn't mean you don't listen to her. I get excited about a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I get into trouble."

"Like what?"

"Well," Rachel looked up, pretending like she had to think, "I get excited to see you!" She tickled the girl's sides, smiling at the giggle that escaped.

"What else?"

"Don't tell her," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "but I get excited to see your mommy too."

Beth fell into a fit of giggles. "Santy and Britt said you like mommy."

"They did?" Rachel blushed.

"Yup, I told mommy too. She yelled at them."

Rachel cracked up laughing as images of Quinn scolding her friends came into her mind. "What's so funny out here?" Quinn walked back into the living room, her phone in her hand. "I ordered food, should be here in about thirty minutes." She flopped onto the sofa beside her daughter and best friend.

"Rachel told me she like seeing you."

"Beth! That was a secret!" Rachel mocked a hurt expression, causing the girl to hug her tightly. "You weren't supposed to tell her."

"I sorry Rachel."

Quinn laughed at the pair beside her. "She's not really mad at you baby."

Rachel's head whipped around to glare at her friend. "And you weren't supposed to tell her that."

"It okay Rachel. I still love you."

The brunette shifted the girl on her lap before nuzzling her. "Aw, and I love you too Beth."

Quinn watched as they started to carry on their own conversation. She smiled warmly at her daughter, as she recounted everything that happened to her while at her Grammy's house. It was a story she'd already heard on the car ride home. She watched as Rachel adamantly listened to the girl, throwing in her occasional gasp of shock. Quinn tucked her left leg under her right and watched their interaction. She felt as though she could easily fall in love with Rachel.

That's what scared her the most.

She'd spent so much time on her own, she wouldn't even begin to know where to start a relationship. Quinn was afraid she would mess something up, as she felt like she always did with her past relationships. In a spur of the moment bought of courage, she decided she would try talking with Rachel about it after Beth was in bed. She didn't feel as scared about it as she would have been the day before. Especially since they'd come very close to kissing just a few minutes prior.

It was something they needed to figure out together, and not just jump into.

They had to help each other.

* * *

**_Next chapter will contain some serious Faberry conversation. Afterwards, I believe I'm going to skip some time, say about two to three weeks. You'll find out why when I actually skip the time.  
_**

**_Spam that review button! You all have been incredibly supportive of this story. I'm feeling the pressure to update as often as I can so I don't let you guys down. lol_**


	9. Chapter 9

**_You all have been absolutely incredible. 115 reviews for just 8 chapters. I'm still in utter shock over it. _**

**_Just a warning, this contains mild spoilers for the movie Orphan. If you haven't seen it, I promise it really doesn't give that much away. _**

**_Also, one review I received on the last chapter must have misunderstood me when I said I would be skipping two to three weeks. I meant in the story, not that I'll be going 2-3 weeks without updating. I couldn't do that to you guys, you've all been amazing._**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 9_**

"Time for bed princess." Rachel scooped up the little girl from the sofa.

"No, I wanna stay with you." Beth whined, then yawned.

Quinn got up to follow the pair into Beth's room. "She's right honey, It's already past your bedtime."

The girl snuggled further into Rachel's embrace. "One more movie."

"Maybe tomorrow Beth." Quinn helped to tuck her daughter in. She placed a soft kiss to Beth's forehead before covering her up with the blanket.

"Will you sing Rachel." Beth looked up at the brunette through hooded eyes.

Rachel made herself comfortable on the edge of the bed. How could she pass up a chance to sing? Even if it was just for Beth. "Of course."

Quinn leaned against the doorframe, her arms folded across her chest as she just watched. She felt a familiar chill roll down her spine the moment Rachel's mouth opened and she started to sing. It happened every time Rachel would sing, be it in the car, or in Glee club. Quinn loved hearing her best friend sing every time.

"Sweet dreams Beth." Rachel whispered when she finished singing. She leaned down to place a soft kiss on the girl's forehead before fixing the blanket around her. Once she was sure Beth was situated, she stood up and shut off her lamp on her nightstand. Rachel bit her lower lip when she realized Quinn's eyes were on her. "You're watching me."

"I can't help it." Quinn pushed herself off of the doorframe before leading the way back into the living room.

Rachel stopped for a moment to watch Quinn as she walked away. Based on what happened earlier in the day, she felt even more confused. Shaking her head of her thoughts, she followed the blonde, pulling Beth's bedroom door shut behind her as she went. "Can't help what, exactly?" Rachel eyed Quinn carefully. She took notice of the way she looked away, and how a slight twinge of pink appeared across her cheeks. "Quinn?" She sat down beside her, making sure that she sat in such a way where their knees were touching. "Talk to me…"

Quinn didn't pull her eyes away from her lap. She was well aware of the contact she was currently having with Rachel. At that moment, she felt torn between pulling away, and pulling Rachel closer.

"What almost happened earlier, can't happen again." Quinn finally looked over at Rachel, which turned into a big mistake. She felt another chill go down her spine. Rachel was a lot closer than she had originally anticipated her to be.

The diva bit her lower lip before boldly reaching out to place a comforting hand on Quinn's bicep. "I understand Quinn… but, what if I were to tell you that I wanted it to happen… eventually." Rachel took a shaky breath, suddenly fearing that her best friend would kick her out. She felt herself start to slip into a panic when Quinn didn't answer right away. "I… I'm sorry…"

"Rachel," Quinn reached out to take the brunette's hand in her own. "You have no reason to be sorry. I don't want you to feel like you can't tell me what you're thinking… regardless of what it is. It's just… It's too soon after your break-up with Finn. Christ Rach, it hasn't even been a full week. I won't be any kind of rebound – someone to fill the void that he left. I understand that you're the one who broke up with him, and not the other way around, but that doesn't mean you're not hurting somewhere inside too."

"But I-"

Quinn raised her other hand to silence Rachel before she continued talking," my turn now. Please, let me finish." Rachel nodded. "Look, whether you admit it or not, and I'm aware of how stubborn you are, you're still angry about the whole Finn situation. You shouldn't attempt to move on until the day you can look at him and no longer care. Sure, you may get that urge to yell at him, or give him dirty looks, but you won't, because you'll realize that he no longer matters in your life." Quinn paused so she could look at Rachel again, smiling at the fact that she, too, was smiling. "I… do care for you… but this," she motioned between them, "won't happen any time soon. I-I'm still trying to come to terms with myself."

After what felt like an eternity of silence between them, Rachel spoke, "is it my turn now?"

Quinn cracked a large smile, "yes." It was followed by a soft laugh.

"I do understand everything you said Quinn. And, you are right. Finn still makes me very angry. You are also right about what happened earlier. I don't know what possessed me… okay, maybe I do, but that's beside the point. Everything is too soon, as you had just said. I know who I am as a person. You, on the other hand, need time to let it all sink in. I remember when I figured out I was bisexual. It was a rather long, and stressful process." Rachel looked down at the joined hands and smiled. "I just hope that nothing changes between us. I don't want anything to be awkward or uncomfortable for either of us."

"It won't be for me, if it isn't for you."

Rachel nodded. "We need boundaries in place." Quinn chuckled at her. "No kissing for one." Quinn nodded. "I… well, honestly, if I flirt, I won't be able to help it." She felt herself blush come to her cheeks. "I still want to be able to cuddle up for movies and what not. Hopefully, I can still hug you when I see you at school," Quinn nodded." Good, because I really want to watch a movie and curl up in your bed with you right now."

Without another word, Quinn stood up and led Rachel down the hallway. She could hear Rachel rustling around in her duffel bag while she turned on her Xbox. "I have something I'd like to add to your list."

"What's that?" Rachel pulled her tank top and shorts out of her bag and started making her way toward the door to go into the bathroom to change.

"We keep this to ourselves until we figure everything out. If Brittany and Santana catch wind of this, we'll never hear the end of it." Quinn chuckled before digging some clothing out of her dresser to get changed.

"That sounds perfect to me. I'm going to go and get changed."

Quinn nodded. She waited until Rachel was out of the room before she stripped her clothing. Within moments, she slid on a tank top and a pair of pajama pants. Her mind was wandering. She knew they should wait, but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted to. She also felt like she needed to talk to someone. Someone that wasn't Rachel. But it definitely couldn't be Brittany, or Santana for that matter.

_Too much thinking_. She told herself before she pulled the blanket back and crawled into bed. To kill time, waiting for Rachel's return, she started scrolling through some of the new releases. Quinn had gotten into the habit of going right for comedies, based on Rachel's personal preference.

"What are we watching?" Rachel shut off the overhead light before making her way toward the bed.

"Your choice, as always. My movie selection is always horrid in your eyes." Quinn smirked at the brunette when she glared at her. "What, you're the one who's always told me that."

"That… is because you always choose atrocious movies." Rachel pulled her hair up into a ponytail, as she usually did before bed. She then sat cross legged on the bed next to Quinn and gratefully took the controller from her to select a movie.

"I can't help it that I love horror movies and action movies, whereas you enjoy sappy romance and comedies."

"Fine, let's watch one of your movies tonight." Rachel instantly cringed at the words that came out of her mouth. Why had she just told Quinn she would sit through a horror movie with her. But, how could she take the words back now? The blonde's face lit up and a smile crept to her lips at Rachel's words. "Here, you pick…" She got herself comfortable under Quinn's blanket after giving the controller back to her friend.

"It won't be that bad." Quinn lifted her left arm, opening herself up to Rachel to join her. Which, she quickly did. "This one looks good." She shut off her controller after starting a movie.

"What is this one?" Rachel's head came to rest on Quinn's shoulder, her arm around the blonde's waist as she turned her attention to the television.

"It's called Orphan."

"And… what's it about?" Rachel instantly felt the chills roll down her spine at the very beginning of the movie. She silently hoped the entire thing wasn't as bad as how it had started.

"This girl who gets adopted by this family." Quinn left her synopsis of the film very brief as the opening scene came to a close.

As the first scene in the movie ended, she felt herself beginning to relax. _Maybe the movie wouldn't be that bad._ She thought to herself. But, as the movie played on, she realized how wrong she had been. Rachel had never been good with handling blood, even if it was obviously fake in the movie. But, about half way through the movie, she cringed every single time she'd seen Esther on the television. She didn't know what the girl would do next.

But, knowing Quinn liked the movie, Rachel forced herself to watch it. By the end of the film, she'd had her face buried into the crock of Quinn's neck. Her fingers were gripping the fabric of Quinn's tank top so tightly, that her knuckles had turned white. She couldn't watch anymore, but her pride had prevented her from saying anything.

"Rachel?" Quinn spoke softly to her, chuckling as the brunette shook her head. "Open your eyes."

"No."

"Why?"

"So much blood…"

The blonde laughed again before pushing Rachel away from her some to get a better look at her face. She examined it for a moment, noting to herself how cute she was with her eyes clenched shut and a her brow furrowed. "It's just a movie Rach."

"Don't care." She whimpered, trying to pull herself back into Quinn's embrace.

"It's almost over, I promise."

Rachel shook her head. "Still don't care." Since Quinn wasn't allowing her to pull her close again, she reached for one of the pillows to snuggle up with. Rachel needed some kind of comfort – anything she could latch on to.

"Rachel." Quinn leaned closer, speaking her friend's name in a sing-song tone. When the brunette didn't respond right away, she repeated herself, "Rachel, come on." The diva shook her head again. "Fine, you asked for it." She shifted herself even closer to the smaller girl and started digging her fingers into Rachel's sides.

"Ah, no! Quinn… stop!" She squirmed, trying her hardest to push the offending hands away from her sides. "Can't… breathe…" After several more minutes, Rachel was finally able to get ahold of the blonde's attacking hands and grab them. The action caused Quinn's body to land on top of her. Once she regained her breath, her laughing had stopped completely. Quinn's lips were hovering just inches above her own, and she was making no attempt to put anymore distance between them.

Quinn felt her breath hitch in her throat. Her eyes searched Rachel's, seeing nothing but love and trust in her deep brown eyes. _Stop._ She tried to tell herself. But her body was defying her mind's wish. The feel of Rachel's hand coming up to cup her cheek, sent welcoming jolts down her spine. _Don't._ Her mind tried to stop herself again, but it was already too late. Quinn's eyes closed on their own accord. _Don't kiss her._ It was one last, failed attempt to stop the inevitable.

Rachel met her halfway, pressing her lips to her taller friend's for the very first time. Her hand moved from Quinn's cheek, so slide her fingers into Quinn's hair on the back of her head, effectively pulling her even closer. _This is bad… but so good._ Rachel's mind tried to chime in, attempting to fight off her body's response to pull Quinn's body down on top of her own. _This isn't good._ She felt Quinn's soft tongue drag along her bottom lip. Rachel tried to fight off the moan that rumbled in her throat when she allowed the muscle into her own mouth. _Yup, very bad._

Boundaries were in place for a reason. Not to be crossed. But, at that moment in time, the two best friends thought the exact same thing.

_Fuck_ the boundaries.

* * *

**_Let me know what you think. The fact that they did kiss, was just kind of thrown in. I'll find a way to work it into how I wanted this story to originally go, no worries there.  
_**

**_If you have any suggestions, let me know :D I'm working on one chapter at a time. I'm probably going to continue right into chapter 10 here._**

**_Spam that review button :D_**


	10. Chapter 10

**_I'm not happy at ALL with how this chapter turned out. I wanted more in it, but it just wasn't coming to me. Hopefully now that I'm past this chapter things will flow a little easier for me._**

**_With that, I don't know when the next update will end up being. I've been in so much physical pain for the past month. It hurts me to sit at my computer for extended periods of time, or even to lay down in the same position for long periods of time. I have a new pain killer and muscle relaxer for my back and hip, and I'm waiting to be scheduled for an MRI of my lower spine. I'm hoping it's nothing serious, but with how it feels, I'm afraid it might be. I won't know until I get my MRI done. Which will hopefully be soon._**

**_Anyway, I'm done updating everybody on how I've been doing. I'm going to go and lie down now, maybe play a game for a little bit before I have to go to work. Hope you all enjoy this. Let me know what you think._**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 10_**

Three weeks. It had been three weeks since that fateful evening in Quinn's bedroom. There had been little talk of the event, and it had not happened again. Rachel walked from her car, into the school, books clung tightly to her chest. She had felt a little betrayed, if anything. After that night. Quinn seemed to completely vanish. The blonde had been very short with all of their interactions since that night.

She couldn't be mad at the blonde. They _had_ crossed their own boundary. Both of them had. So, while it hurt Rachel to keep her distance from her best friend, she respected it and knew it was for the best. Though, Rachel didn't regret their kiss, she just knew it was entirely too soon.

"Berry!" Santana greeted Rachel from her spot near the diva's locker. "I needs to talk to you."

"Good morning to you too Santana. How may I be of assistance to you?" Rachel opened up her locker and proceeded to gather her books for her first two classes.

"What's up with Quinn? Old Mother Hubbard has been all weird since that little sleepover you guys had."

Rachel froze. Apparently she wasn't the only person Quinn wasn't talking to. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yea, ya do." Santana pushed the locker door shut, forcing Rachel to look at her. "What the hell happened between you two?"

"Nothing Santana." Rachel turned to walk toward her first class. She frowned when she noticed Santana stayed right beside her.

The Latina just wouldn't let it go. "You're hiding something. You and Q both. Someone needs to tell me what the hell is going on."

"Lay off of her, Santana." Quinn stepped between her two best friends. She never once spared a look to Rachel though. She couldn't. She couldn't look at the shorter girl the same way ever again.

"Something's going on with you two… and I don't like it."

Rachel glanced up at Quinn before she spoke, "it's something we need to figure out on our own right now." She smiled softly when the blonde actually looked down at her. What she saw in Quinn's eyes, though, was pure confusion. It wasn't the same loving look she'd come to know and love herself. Quinn had the look in her eyes that she sported when she discovered she was pregnant. When she had no idea what she should do.

"Yea, whatever… But know this, I _will_ find out what's going on. You two can't keep your mouths shut forever." With that, Santana turned to head toward her own first period.

Once Santana was out of their sight, Rachel decided to try her luck with talking to the blonde. "Good morning Quinn."

"Morning." Was all Quinn spit out before turning on her heel and hurrying down the hall.

_Well, it's more than yesterday._ Rachel let out a heavy sigh as she followed Quinn into their first class of the day.

* * *

_Rachel: Hopefully we can talk soon… I miss you_

Quinn laid in her bed. Beth had been asleep now for nearly two hours. Quinn, on the other hand, only wished she could sleep. Ever since the kiss, her mind wouldn't stop working. She spent all of her alone time thinking – trying to make sense of the jumbled mess that were her thoughts. _When did everything change?_ She closed her eyes to try to focus on the moment that she started looking at Rachel differently. The only instance she could think of, happened nearly a year ago.

* * *

_"I can't believe you dragged me here Quinn." Rachel grumbled as she followed her friend up to Santana's house. "You know she hates me. She didn't even offer me an invitation to her party."_

_Quinn rolled her eyes before grabbing Rachel's hand and literally dragged the brunette out of her car. "She doesn't bite, I promise."_

_"Sometimes I wonder about her though." She mumbled under her breath, but didn't fight her friend leading her toward Santana's front door._

_Quinn opened the door to allow herself into the house. But, Rachel stopped at the doorway, feeling weary. "Come on Rach, I'll put her in her place if she tries to kick you out."_

_"But Quinn, I'd really rather just go home…"_

_"Q! It's about da- what is she doing here? I don't remember troll people being invited."_

_"I invited her San. Lay off."_

_"Um, how about no. I'm sure you can find your way out of my house hobbit." Santana's arms folded over her chest._

_"I'll have you know Santana, it was not my idea to even be here. I would much rather be at home, practicing for Regionals, just like the rest of us should be doing. But no, Quinn insisted I get out of the house and mingle with my fellow Glee mates." She glared at the taller blonde, who had her eyebrows raised in amusement. "I'm well aware of the fact that you, nor anybody else in Glee even likes me."_

_Quinn wasn't the only one amused by Rachel's sudden outburst. "Well damn Berry, you have more attitude like that, I may come to like you."_

_"Well, it looks like I didn't even have to put her in her place. You did it yourself."_

* * *

It wasn't that situation, Quinn decided. No, it was a combination of that, and seeing Rachel in her barely there, black bikini when she was getting ready to dive into Santana's pool. So far as she was aware, nobody noticed her staring at the tiny brunette as she splashed around with their other Glee mates in the water.

One party, that Rachel didn't even want to go to, changed everything for Quinn. From that day forward, she recalled herself watching Rachel a little longer than normal. She'd smile at her every time she sang in Glee, even when everybody else would roll their eyes. Quinn found herself standing up for Rachel at school. It became second nature for her. It had even started to become common knowledge at school, that Rachel was off limits to slushies. Especially when Santana was around as well.

Quinn was thankful to have the chance to think. She slowly felt her mind start to clear itself. She always knew her relationship with Finn was due to her father's strict nature. Her one night stand with Puck, was based on pure rebellion. Now, that Quinn was being honest with herself, she could finally admit that she hated sleeping with Puck. She hated every aspect of it. But, being straight had always been expected of her.

A small smile crept to her face. She was 18, a single mother, and lived on her own. Quinn was already going against the standards that had been laid for her while she was growing up. The expected life of an 18 year old, was to graduate high school, head off to college, and spend time with their friends. She wasn't that typical teenager.

Her phone vibrated, pulling her out of her thoughts. She couldn't help but smile when she saw it was from Rachel.

_Rachel: I hope you have a good night. I'm off to bed_

Quinn fought the urge to text her best friend back. She wanted to. Hell, she missed talking to Rachel as much as it was obvious to her that Rachel missed it as well. Keeping her distance, while painful, was worth it. She needed the time to clear her head and work through all of her mixed emotions. As she stared at the screen, she realized that the conversation she had with Brittany had started the whole process. She loved Rachel. And the time away from the brunette only helped confirm that.

She looked at the empty space beside her. Oh how she wanted Rachel to be there beside her… every night… for the rest of her life. Quinn closed her eyes as she felt a single tear slide down her cheek.

_Quinn: I need a friend right now_

She sent out the text message with shaking hands. Her phone came to rest on her chest while she wiped her tears from her eyes. Even though she'd told Rachel that they needed to figure everything out on their own, she really needed an outside opinion.

_Santana: What's up chica?_

_Quinn: Can you come over tonight? And stay? Please?_

Quinn hated the way she was begging. She was never the type to need another person for support. While growing up, she was always by herself. Having to seek help made her feel weak and helpless.

_Santana: Be there in a few_

The blonde curled up in her bed, her arms wrapped around one of her pillows. Once she realized it was a pillow Rachel always used, she completely broke down in tears. She didn't just love Rachel… she was _in_ love with Rachel. And she was terrified.

Her position in bed didn't change from the time she saw Santana's text message, to the time she heard the doorbell. Quinn quickly wiped at her eyes before crawling out of bed to go and open the front door.

"So, what's got you begging me to come over at ten at night?" Santana invited herself in and tossed her Cheerios duffel bag onto her friend's sofa. When Quinn didn't answer right away, her tone softened slightly. "Why have you been crying?"

"It's Rachel." Quinn shut the front door and turned the deadbolt before looking at Santana.

The Latina made her way toward Quinn's bedroom, the blonde following right behind her. "You finally going to tell me what's going on?" Quinn nodded, "okay, I'm waiting."

Quinn sat on the edge of her bed. "We kissed… about three weeks ago when all of this started."

Santana's eyes grew wide. "Okay… so you kissed her and got scared?" She sat down beside her friend before speaking again. "Why did you get scared?"

"What if she doesn't love me back?" Quinn bit her lower lip in an attempt to fight off the tears that threatened her eyes again.

Santana reached out to rub Quinn's shoulder before pulling her into a tight embrace. She gently rubbed her friend's back as she sobbed into her neck. "You don't even have to worry about that Q. She loves you. Anybody can see that."

"Just because you think she does, doesn't mean she actually does."

"Pull your head out of your ass for a minute and actually listen to me. You guys kissed, and look at the outcome. She's moping around because you're not talking to her. Do you know how much I see her just looking at you in school?" She paused, but didn't give Quinn time to actually respond before she continued. "Every single day… I know it's scary, look how I was last year with Britt. It took me pushing her away to realize how much I needed her… much like what you're feeling right now with Rachel."

"I'm just terrified of what people will think…"

"Fuck what other people think Quinn. When have you ever cared about something like that?" Quinn shook her head. "No, tell me."

"Rachel's already picked on enough… can you imagine what it would be like for her if it got out that she liked girls?"

A small smile crept to Santana's face. "You need to ask her out. I know you want to protect her from those closed minded assholes at McKinley, but to be honest, nobody even needs to know if you two were to start dating. Rumors have circulated you two for the past year, and you know it. Just don't change how you act in school and nobody will be the wiser."

"Are you sure?"

Santana reached out to grab Quinn's phone. Without a word, she unlocked the screen, ignoring the odd look that Quinn had given her. She scrolled through her text messages to bring up the conversation with Rachel. "You're off Friday night, right Q?" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the blonde nod. "K, good."

_Quinn: This is Santana. Q's too afraid to ask you if you're busy Friday night_

"What are you doing!" Quinn attempted to snatch her phone out of her friend's hand, but to no avail. "Santana, please…"

"You're too chicken to ask her. And trust me, I know you've wanted to." A sly smirk came to her lips when Rachel almost instantly responded.

_Rachel: I'm free, but why are you wondering Santana?_

"Oh good, she's free. How about you take her to Breadstix?"

"Why are you volunteering me to take her on a date?"

"Because you're too chicken shit to do it yourself."

_Quinn: Wonderful, Quinn will pick you up at 7 for dinner_

"You know I don't like Breadstix much Santana."

"Then you need to figure out before Friday where you're taking her for dinner." Santana smirked triumphantly before scooting back to make herself comfortable in bed. Just as she did so, Quinn's phone vibrated with a new message.

_Rachel: Dinner?_

_Quinn: as in a date_

"I really hate you." Quinn grabbed her phone from her friend. "I text you to come over, not to set me up on a damn date."

"Not much difference in my eyes. So, tell me. Did you like making out with Berry?"

"We didn't make out Santana! We kissed." Quinn blushed though, giving it away to the Latina that it was just an innocent kiss that they'd shared. It was a kiss that lovers usually shared.

"That look tells me otherwise Q. I know she makes you happy. She may annoy everybody else, but for some reason, you can tolerate her. As much as Finn claimed to love her, he wanted her to change. I see how you two interact. You're like this totally different person around her. And no, I'm not saying it as a bad thing. I'm saying it's a good thing. It's like she brings out the Quinn from when we were growing up."

Quinn made herself comfortable under her blankets, allowing Santana's words to sink in before she spoke. "I still hate you."

"No you don't. Somewhere inside that pretty little head of yours, you're thanking me for doing this for you." She shy smile that appeared on Quinn's face, told her all she needed to know. "You'll have a blast. Hell, I'll even watch Beth for ya."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll make sure she doesn't kill herself."

"That's comforting." Quinn smacked her friend's arm before laughing softly. After a moment of the two sharing a few friendly blows back and forth as well as laughing, Quinn spoke again. "Do you think it will work out with Rachel and I?"

"Of course it will. As long as Finn can take a damn hint and back off."

"Doubt that will happen…"

"He's a dipship, he always has been. You know that first hand from that year you spent dating him."

"Don't remind me." Quinn reached out for her phone, thankful that Santana allowed her to have it.

_Rachel: I'm looking forward to that. Where are we going to go?_

_Quinn: I got my phone back from Santana, as far as where we're going, it's a surprise_

_Quinn: Good night Rach_

Quinn plugged her phone into the charger before making sure her alarm was set for the morning. "Thank you for coming over San… it means a lot to me."

"No problem Quinn. You know I'm always here to help you. Even when it's obvious you don't know how to help yourself."

She rolled her eyes at her friend before switching on her TV to start a movie. She had a feeling that she'd fall asleep before it was even over, but having the television on in the background, always helped her to sleep. "Good night Santana."

"Night Quinn. Go get your girl." Santana winked before making herself comfortable under Quinn's blanket as well.

* * *

**_Spam that review button. I'm off to play a video game now and attempt to get comfortable in bed. I'm hoping this new medicine I have will actually work so I can do something tomorrow at work other than sit in the office all day -_- _**

**_See ya next time :D_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_I want to apologize for the long delay. I'm currently on a Leave of Absence from my job due to the pain in my back and down my leg. An MRI showed three protruding discs in my lower spine, one of them being severe. Which would explain why I'm having numbness and burning sensations down my leg when I'm standing for more than 5 minutes. I'm currently waiting for an appointment with a Spinal Surgeon... for further evaluation... So right now, I have plenty of time at home... yes... but I have such a hard time sitting at my computer for long periods of time. So I spend a lot of time writing on paper and typing it up in chunks until it's finished._**

**_Thank you for such a huge amount of love you all have been showing this story. I was considering another little twist involving Rachel, but I may end up surpassing that twist to just focus on a sweet story (for once)._**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 11_**

Rachel was beyond frustrated by the time Friday came along. She barely talked to Quinn, which, honestly, she'd started to become used to. No, what had her frustrated, was Finn. Even after her explaining countless to him that she had plans Friday evening, he persisted on taking her on a date to rekindle their relationship.

"We belong together Rach." He pleaded with her at her locker.

It was the end of the school day on Friday, and Rachel was in a hurry to get home and get ready for her date with Quinn. She was nervous, but didn't really understand why though. Through their time as friends, they had gone out for meals several times. But, never as a date though. She decided that that's why she was so nervous. Plus, Quinn had told her they were traveling to Fort Wayne, an hour away.

"No, we do not belong together Finn. I'm ashamed of myself for not realizing it sooner. Now please, I need to hurry home for I have plans this evening and need to be ready by 5."

"Why, what do you have that's so important?"

"I already told you Finn, I have plans tonight. I am not obligated to tell you what my plans are." Rachel grabbed her keys out of her purse before walking away from him. She hated that he kept pace with her and stayed right beside her as she exited the building.

Finn grabbed her hand, causing her to stop suddenly and jerk it out of his grasp. "What are you doing tonight? Why won't you tell me?"

"Because it is none of your damn business!" Rachel nearly yelled at him. The fact that she cursed at him shocked everybody who was within earshot. The diva was usually talkative, yes, but hardly ever yelled at anybody. Rachel grumbled in frustration at her ex-boyfriend. "Just leave me alone Finn. I'm done with you!"

"Rachel, wait, just give me a chance. I'll change, I swear." He continued to plead with the brunette.

"Just stop Finn." She shook her head at him before turning to go to her car. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Quinn watching her. Just moments later, she heard her phone beep with a new text message. Rachel waited until she was safely in her car before looking at her phone.

_Quinn: Are you okay?_

A small smile overtook Rachel's face as she looked out the window toward where she'd seen Quinn standing. She lifted her hand to wave at her friend before looking down at her phone to type out a response.

_Rachel: Yes, I am fine. He just can't get it through his overly thick head_

She looked out the window again just in time to see Quinn laugh softly while she looked at her own phone. Rachel took a moment to admire the blonde. She was still attempting to wrap her head around the idea that she had a date with a girl who was once the most popular person in school. Even more popular than Finn ever was.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Santana suddenly appeared in front of her window. After she recovered from her near heart attack, she turned her keys some to be able to wind down her window. "How can I help you Santana?"

"First off, I'm so not sorry for blocking your view of Q," she smirked as a hint of red tint appeared on Rachel's cheeks, "second, bravo on tell Finn off. Half the student body was impressed by your little outburst."

Rachel sighed softly. "I just wish he would stop. The more time I've had away from him, the more I've realized that I never actually loved him."

The Latina's smirk turned into a full blown smile. "Good, now you can fully focus on Quinn. Listen, what I wanted to talk to you about, was Quinn. She's scared she's gonna get hurt."

"I'd never hurt her."

"I know, but she's still scared. You gotta prove it to her that you're not gonna hurt her." Santana took a step away from Rachel's car, "and besides, you hurt her… I'll kill you."

Rachel laughed softly. "Understood. But there's no need to worry." She waved by to her friend before starting her car to head home and get ready for her date.

Once Rachel got home, she hurried inside, kicked her shoes off at the door, and rushed upstairs to her room. The minute she opened her close, she realized that she had no idea what kind of restaurant Quinn was taking her to. She grabbed her phone and sat down on the edge of her bed to send a text to the blonde.

_Rachel: How should I dress?_

While she waited for a response, Rachel decided to go ahead and take her shower. She took her phone into the bathroom with her and placed it on the counter. During her shower, she heard her phone beep with a new text. After rinsing the conditioner out of her hair, she shut off the water and climbed out of the shower.

_Quinn: Nice but not elegant_

_Rachel: Alright. I'll see you soon_

She wrapped a towel around her body while she used another towel to dry her hair. Once she was done towel drying her hair, she glanced at her phone again. Rachel couldn't help the million dollar smile that overtook her face at the message she'd received from Quinn.

_Quinn: Though, I'm sure you'd look wonderful in anything_

With a new found confidence, she went back into her room to pick out the perfect outfit. She searched for something flattering, and that would definitely keep Quinn's attention all evening.

* * *

"You better be good for Santana tonight." Quinn turned to look at her daughter, who was sitting on the edge of the older blonde's bed. When the girl nodded, Quinn looked back at her mirror to get her earrings in.

"She'll be good, or no pizza for dinner or Finding Nemo tonight for movie time." Santana walked into her friend's room. "Look good Q." She smirked when a bit of pinkish hue covered Quinn's cheeks. "Don't go getting all flustered on me now." Santana sat beside Beth on Quinn's bed. "Doesn't mommy look good?"

"Uh huh," Beth nodded.

"Well, tell you."

"You look beautiful mommy."

Quinn smiled at her daughter. "Thank you honey." She bent at her waist to kiss the top of the girl's head.

"I don't get a kiss? I said it first." Santana smirked. She cracked up laughing, though, when Quinn smacked her arm. "I feel the love."

"As you should." Quinn went back to her mirror to apply a small amount of make-up. "I need to leave soon." She heard Santana make a sound of acknowledgement before she continued, "I'm nervous."

"Don't be Q. She won't hurt you. Besides… if she does, I'll kill her."

"I saw you talking to her earlier." Quinn reached for her perfume and applied a few sprays. "What I'm really worried about is the fact that she's my friend and I don't want to lose that if nothing works out."

The Latina rolled her eyes. "I felt like that with Brittany. You can't live your life without taking chances Quinn. Rachel loves you, and I know you love her. It'll work."

"You do spend a lot of time around Rachel." The blonde smirked at the disgusted face her friend made. "You're being all philosophical again."

"Oh shut it." She stood up and picked up Beth. "You wanna go to the park for a little bit? Then we'll stop for pizza on the way home?"

The little girl's face lit up. "Yes! Please? Can we go Santy?"

"Of course, I just have to get your car seat from mommy's car."

"Come on." Quinn led the pair out of her bedroom after sliding on her sandals. She grabbed a light jacket before picking up her purse and walking out of her apartment, Santana and Beth following right behind her.

She took a moment to get the car seat out of her car before helping Santana get it into hers. "Have fun Q." Santana smiled at her friend. "Just relax. Remember, it's just Rachel. You know her. The reality of it is that it's no different from all the other times you've had dinner with her." Santana reached in to place Beth in her seat and strap her in. "So just breathe, don't panic."

"Easy for you to say. You got your girl." Quinn gave Santana a tight hug and whispered against her ear, "thank you though."

"You're welcome." She placed a friendly kiss on Quinn's cheek before stepping aside to let the girl in to say bye to her daughter.

"You be good for Santana. I'm going to get a full report when I get home." Quinn leaned down to give Beth a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you in the morning. You'll be asleep by the time I get home."

"No I won't, I stay up and wait for you."

Quinn shook her head, a smile on her face. "Go ahead and try, but you won't make it." Beth pouted. "I love you honey."

"Love you more mommy."

"I'll see you tonight Santana. You grabbed the extra apartment key right?" Her friend nodded. "Okay…" Quinn took a deep breath before going to her car. "Thanks again Santana."

* * *

"Why are you so dressed up honey?" Leroy asked his daughter when she came downstairs. "Going out tonight?"

Rachel bit her lip shyly before speaking, "I have a date…"

Leroy's eyebrows lifted to his hairline as he examined her for a moment. "A date huh? It's not with that boy Finn is it?"

"No, it's not." Rachel sat on the sofa beside her father to put a pair of solid black heels on.

"Who is it with? Do I know him?" He muted the television to better hear his daughter.

"Yes you do… you know her."

"Her?" Leroy was now smirking. "Well, this is news to me."

"Daddy, you've always known I liked girls too." She crossed her left leg over her right leg and pulled out her phone to take a glance at it.

_Quinn: I'm about to leave. See you soon_

"What are you smiling about?"

"She's on her way to pick me up."

"So, who is this girl that's taking my baby on a date tonight?" He shifted in his spot to read his daughter's facial expression. "You really like this girl don't you?" His smirk turned into a full-fledged smile.

Rachel returned his smile with one of her own. "Yes, I do. And as far as who she is, you will find out when she gets here." As if on cue, the doorbell rang. At that moment, Rachel felt her heart leap into her throat. She wished she wasn't so nervous. It was just Quinn. A girl she'd had several meals with before, but never an actual 'date.'

She placed her phone on the sofa's armrest and hurried to the front door. When she opened it, it felt as though she forgot how to breathe. Quinn's hair was curled slightly, framing her face perfectly. She wore a red floral dress with a white cardigan over it. To Rachel, she was beautiful, as she always was. Little did she know, Quinn was feeling the same way as she just stood there appraising Rachel's attire. "Hi Rach."

Rachel wore a pastel yellow blouse that was tucked into a form fitting black skirt. "You look amazing."

Quinn blushed at the words, but smiled despite her own nervousness. "As do you… are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I just have to grab my phone and purse." She stepped away from the door to go into the living room. "We're leaving daddy."

Leroy tilted his head to the side to look at the front door. He was shocked when he saw Quinn standing in the doorway. "Quinn?" He looked back at his daughter and nodded. It was a silent communication to her that he approved. He always did like the blonde girl and suspected for a couple of months that there was something more than just a friendship between the two girls. He was happy to know that his daughter would be happy again. "You two be careful. Don't stay out too late Rachel."

"I'll take good care of her Leroy." Quinn had made her way into the living room and smiled at the older man. She then offered her hand to Rachel and felt her heart flutter when the brunette took it.

"You girls have fun."

"We will. Don't wait up daddy." Rachel grabbed her purse on the way out the front door. "Where are we going?" She looked up at Quinn as they walked down the steps and toward the blonde's car.

"I already told you that we're going to Fort Wayne." Quinn opened up the passenger door for her date. "I'm sure you'll love it. Mom and Russell always took me there for my birthdays growing up."

The diva sighed but smiled anyway as she looked up into Quinn's eyes for a moment. "Okay, I trust you." She pulled her hand away from Quinn's but placed it against the blonde's cheek for a moment before getting into the car.

* * *

"Reservation under Fabray." Quinn spoke to the host once they were inside of the restaurant.

"I've got you right here, table for two?" She looked up and smiled at the girls in front of her. "Right this way ladies." The older woman grabbed two menus and led the way into the restaurant.

Both girls followed right behind her, hand in hand the entire way. Quinn, for the most part, was thankful for the darker lighting in the restaurant. It made it harder for the patrons to see that she was holding the hand of another girl. Her choice for dinner came mostly from the fear of what people would think if they were seen out together by someone they knew.

"Here we go." The older woman motioned to a booth near the back of the restaurant. "Can I get you ladies anything to drink?"

"Sweet tea for me." Quinn looked up at the woman after she took her seat. She then looked across the table to Rachel.

"Water."

"Alright, your waiter this evening is Edward, he will be with you shortly." She placed the menus on the table before going toward the back to get the drinks.

"You really came here all the time when you were younger?" Quinn nodded. "I never would have guessed you to be much into Vegan food." Rachel picked up her menu and was quite surprised to see the large selection of entrees she had to choose from.

Quinn laughed softly as she reached for her own menu. "Mom grew up in Fort Wayne. Apparently this restaurant has been here since she was a kid. This was my first introduction to Vegan food. I actually prefer it over the other options whenever I come here." She opened up the menu and skipped right to the pastas. Her personal favorite of the small establishment.

"Tell me then, do you recommend anything in particular?"

The blonde leaned across the table to take Rachel's menu from her, smiling as their fingers brushed in the process. "Honestly, this Lemon Pesto Pasta is delicious." She pointed to it on the menu before glancing back at her date. _Gorgeous._ Quinn blushed at her thoughts before clearing her throat and completely sitting back down on her side of the table.

"That does look good." Rachel leaned over some to look at what Quinn had pointed out. Through her eyelashes, she watched the blonde thumb through her own menu. A smile came to her lips as she examined the other girl's features. "You're beautiful." She spoke soft enough for just Quinn to hear her.

Quinn's eyes lifted off of the menu to meet Rachel's. She made no attempt to hide her blush as she smiled. "As are you Rachel." It was Rachel that time to initiate the contact. The brunette reached across the table to grab the young mother's hand. She took a moment to caress the back of her hand before interlocking their fingers. "Even though it was Santana to ask you, I'm glad you agreed to coming out with me tonight."

Neither bothered to separate their hands as their drinks were brought to them. The host simply smiled at them before going back toward the front door. "I'm glad that I did too Quinn."

"I'll be honest with you Rachel… I'm scared. I'm scared of this not working, of it messing up our friendship. I'm scared of what everybody in Lima will think if they were to find out about us." She could see a smile slowly taking over Rachel's face as she spoke. "Why on Earth are you smiling?"

"Because of what you're saying… From what I'm getting, you want there to be more dinners."

"Would you?"

Rachel's head tilted to the side to make it appear as though she had to think about it. "I'll let you know when this date is done." She winked, causing Quinn to crack up laughing.

"I'm sorry to interrupt ladies. My name is Edward and I'll be your waiter this evening. Have you had enough time to look over your menus?" The girls nodded. "Alright, would you like to start off with an appetizer this evening?"

Quinn nodded her head toward Rachel to go first. The brunette smiled at the gesture before placing her order for a small salad and the lemon pesto pasta that Quinn had recommended to her. Once Edward wrote down her order, Quinn gave her own. Starting off with a similar salad, but going for a pasta with butternut squash. Edward nodded to them before picking up their menus to leave them alone.

"So I have to wait until I take you home to find out if I can take you on another date?" Quinn smirked. If Rachel could play, so could she.

"I'll really have to think about it Miss Fabray. But, I can already tell you that this is turning out to be better than any other date I've ever been on." Though, she didn't have many to compare her current date to, she already knew that it would be better, simply because it was with Quinn.

"Hopefully I won't mess anything up then."

Rachel shook her head. "I doubt that, it's usually me who messes something up during a date."

Quinn laughed softly, until she realized that Rachel was being serious. "How are you the one to mess something up?" She paused for a moment. "I doubt you could do that with me, because to me, you're perfect." Quinn's sharp intake of breath was sign that she hadn't meant to say that. But the words were already out of her mouth before she'd realized it.

Rachel was just as shocked as Quinn was at the words. Nobody had ever called her perfect before. Except her fathers. Yet, in a situation like this, it was different. Hearing her one best friend, and potential girlfriend, calling her perfect, sent a chill down her spine. It was at that moment, she knew she made the right decision by accepting Santana's offer on Quinn's behalf for a date. Rachel regretted nothing.

* * *

**_I'll probably end up skipping the actual meal portion for the next chapter and go to the car ride home and from there.  
_**

**_Let me know what you all think. I'm going to go and work on chapter 12 now._**

**_See ya next time :)_**


	12. Chapter 12

**_Here's the next chapter for everybody. It's a little bit shorter than normal, but I didn't want to drag out it past where I felt comfortable ending it. _**

**_Update on my spine: I do have three bulging discs in my spine, one of which is almost completely closing off my spinal canal where the nerves run through. On top of that, I also have a forward shifting of my spine at L5, just above my tail bone... I'm getting a cortisone injection in my spine tomorrow morning. I'm hoping that will help, if it doesn't, then I will be facing surgery. What I'm concerned about... is if the disc gets fixed, and the pain remains, I'll be facing an even more intensive surgery to fix the forward shifting of my spine. Fixing that would involve plates and possibly a fusion..._**

**_In all this time I've had, I have started recording gameplay videos to post on youtube, with commentary. Would you guys be able to help me out by spreading the word and helping me gain views and subscribers?  
_**

**_ www. youtube user/ JDragon212_**

**_Just take out the spaces, and add in the dotcom/ after youtube  
_**

**_This website is so picky with posting web links it's ridiculous, it's not like I'm linking a porn site or something. sheesh... Anyway. Anything would be helpful. I'm starting to worry that I won't be able to go back to work, so this is my alternative._**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 12_**

"I almost don't want this night to end." Rachel looked out the passenger window as Quinn made her way off of the interstate to head into Lima.

Quinn glanced at her date before smiling. "The Lima Bean is open late on Fridays. Would you like some coffee?"

Rachel caressed the side of the blonde's hand with her thumb as she spoke, "that sounds incredible actually."

Instead of heading toward Rachel's house, Quinn made her way across town to The Lima Bean. She was thankful when it came into view and there only appeared to be three cars in the parking lot from what she could see. They were probably staff member's vehicles. She parked in front of the building and cut the engine.

"Shall we?" Quinn looked at her brunette counterpart with a smile.

"Yes, we shall."

Quinn climbed out of the car and waited for Rachel when she stepped up onto the sidewalk. After an entire of evening of nobody looking at them oddly, Quinn felt more confident and comfortable with being with Rachel in public. She opened the front door to The Lima Bean and allowed her hand to graze across Rachel's lower back as she entered. "Do you know what you want?" She questioned as they approached the counter.

"I always order the same thing. So… yes, I do know what I want. And," she reached for her wallet in her pust, "let this be my treat."

Knowing better than to challenge Rachel, Quinn just nodded. She remembered last time Rachel told her about a date she'd had with Finn where he refused to let her pay for anything. Rachel had stated several times that she was an equal person and did not need to be taken care of. Quinn thought it better than to risk getting a lecture directed at her.

"Good evening ladies. Are you ready to order?" The man behind the counter spoke to them after he came out from the back.

Quinn nodded. "Two medium French vanilla caramel lattes, with soy milk, one of them with whipped cream please." She dared to glance at her date and smiled at the odd look she was receiving. "What?"

"You know my coffee order?"

She shrugged. "You get the same thing all the time."

Rachel stepped up to the counter to pay for their drinks. She was still in shock that Quinn actually paid attention enough to know her coffee order. Finn never paid that much attention to anything about her. He had even attempted to feed her meat once for dinner.

"Nobody's ever paid that much attention to that detail before."

Quinn waited until the employee was out of ear shot before she spoke. "I'm not like the others."

With a shy smile, Rachel stepped into Quinn's personal space. "I know you're not like the others Quinn. You're incredible." She glanced around for a brief moment before leaning up to place a soft kiss on Quinn's cheek.

Just as the diva pulled back, the young man came out carrying their order. "Here you are. You ladies have a wonderful evening."

"We will, thank you." Rachel handed Quinn her cup before sipping from her own. "Do you want to go back to my house? We can sit out on the porch for a bit, it's beautiful outside."

"I like that idea." Quinn drug her finger along the edge of her cup to gather some of the whipped cream to place into her mouth. Based on the look Rachel gave her, she knew her gesture drew the reaction she was looking for. "You ready to go?"

Rachel took a moment to regain her composure before nodding and following the blonde out of The Lima Bean. She'd wanted to kiss Quinn ever since their last kiss. As the night had progressed, the urge had only grown. For Rachel, seeing Quinn lick her finger as she had, sent a very welcomed chill down her spine. Being the hopeless romantic that she was, she was hoping that their date would end in a kiss.

The ten minute car ride to Rachel's was quiet. The only sound in the vehicle came from the radio and occasionally, Rachel opening her mouth to sing along.

Rachel looked up at her house once Quinn pulled into the driveway. Their date was almost over and in a way, it saddened her. She hoped that Quinn would ask her on a second date. To Rachel, the night was perfect – easily the best date she'd ever had.

Quinn shut off the engine before climbing out of the car. She hurried around to the passenger side to open Rachel's door before she had the opportunity to do it herself. "My lady…" she offered her hand, thankful that Rachel actually took it to stand.

"Why thank you." Rachel led the pair onto the porch and sat down on the swing. "I had fun tonight."

Quinn joined her on the swing, making no attempt to move when her leg rested against Rachel's. "So did I. I'm actually thankful that Santana stole my phone to ask you out on my behalf."

"Why didn't you ask me out?"

She looked down at her lap. "I was afraid of your reaction… that it might have changed things in our friendship."

"Quinn…" Rachel reached over to rest her hand on the blonde's cheek. "Remember when we kissed?" Quinn nodded. "Did I push you away?" She shook her head. "You have nothing to worry about then." Rachel's voice was soft and soothing. She looked into Quinn's eyes for a few seconds before leaning forward to press her lips gently against the blonde's. She felt her heart skip a beat when Quinn's head tilted to the side to deepen the kiss. The blonde's own hand came to rest on Rachel's hip.

Quinn was first to pull away from the kiss. With her eyes still closed, she rested her forehead against Rachel's "I've wanted that all night."

"So have I."

They met halfway in another kiss. Their lips fell into a perfect sync with one another, as if they'd been kissing for years. The pair melted into one another once they pulled apart. "Does this mean we can do it more?" Rachel's giggle gave Quinn the answer she was hoping for. "Now, question of the night… can I take you out again?"

"I think I'd be okay with that." Rachel smiled.

Just as Quinn leaned down for another kiss, the porch light began to flicker. Both girls cracked up laughing. "I'm assuming that your dads are still awake."

"They're probably waiting to see how our date went." Rachel stood up and offered her hand to the blonde.

"So, miss Berry, how did your date go?" Quinn took Rachel's hand to stand up with her.

They made the short trip to the front door. Rachel placed her coffee cup on the ledge before wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck. "Our date was perfect."

Quinn's own arms came to rest around Rachel's waist. "I'm glad." She leant down to press one more kiss to Rachel's lips. "I'll text you when I get home. Good luck with your dads."

Rachel laughed, "it should be me that wishes you luck with Santana."

"Don't remind me." Quinn slowly pulled away. "I'll talk to you in a little bit Rach."

Rachel stayed by the front door, watching as Quinn walked out to her car. She lifted her hand to wave at her when she began to back out of the driveway. Once Quinn was out of her sight, she opened the front door to go into her house. The moment she did, she could feel both her father's sets of eyes on her.

"Someone's happy."

The brunette blushed, but completely failed to hide her smile. "I am happy. But I am also tired. Can you two save your questions for the morning please?"

Both men laughed at their daughter. "Alright, but we want to hear all about your date with Quinn tomorrow."

Rachel nodded before heading upstairs. She was thankful to be able to get away from their questions. At least for that evening. Rachel felt like she was floating. The entire evening was perfect. Once she was in her room, she quickly got changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top before making herself comfortable in her bed. The only thing she felt was missing, was that she couldn't curl up with Quinn for the evening. _Maybe next time._

* * *

"Bout time you came home." Santana looked up from the game she'd been playing in the living room. "I'd ask how it went… but…" she made a show of checking the time on her phone, "it _is_ almost midnight after all."

"Hello to you too Santana." Quinn shut the door behind her before going to sit beside her friend. Before she spoke any more, she unlocked her phone to send Rachel a text message that she had gotten home safely. "It was perfect San. Absolutely perfect." She sipped some more of her coffee.

"So, will there be more dates in the future?" Quinn nodded. "About damn time." She nudged her friend, "I'm glad you're happy though Q. You deserve it." Santana handed her the other controller to join her. "So, tell me about it."

"You already know that we went over to Fort Wayne." Quinn turned on her controller, as she did, her phone chirped with a new message.

_Rachel: I had a wonderful time this evening. I'd like to take you and Beth out for lunch tomorrow… if you don't already have plans that is_

_Quinn: I'd love that and I know Beth would too_

"Didn't you just spend all evening with her? And here you go, texting her already." The Latina smirked at her friend. Honestly though, she was thrilled that Quinn was finding happiness. Even if it had been right in front of her for years.

Quinn rolled her eyes before shifting to get comfortable. "She was asking Beth and I to lunch tomorrow."

"Well goody goody. I'm still waiting for more details about tonight. Don't care about tomorrow."

"Not much to tell San. We talked a lot. Enjoyed our dinner. We stopped at The Lima Bean when we got back into town. Then we sat on her porch to talk some more."

"Well, Berry definitely likes to talk." She laughed when Quinn smacked her shoulder. "It's true and you know it."

"But, I can easily talk to her for house though, Santana… unlike you. You drive me crazy within minutes."

"All part of my charm Fabray."

Quinn glanced at her phone between matches, smiling when she read the text message she'd received.

_Rachel: Great! I'll text you in the morning. I'm going to bed now, it was an exciting evening. Sweet dreams Quinn_

_Quinn: Sweet dreams Rachel_

"Texting your girlfriend again?"

"See, this is why I hate you sometimes. Rachel is not my girlfriend."

"Yet."

Quinn just shook her head at her friend. True, she wanted to make Rachel her girlfriend, but she didn't want to ask her too soon. Sure, they already knew one another, they knew a lot about one another. But, the fact that they'd been on just one date, Quinn felt like they were getting to know each other on a completely different level. Just because they knew each other's secrets, didn't mean she should rush anything.

The blonde chose to ignore her friend's remark, and instead turned her focus on the TV, where she snuck up behind Santana and killed her. "That's what you get."

"Fuck you! You're going down!"

The talk of Rachel was forgotten as the two fell into a familiar competition on Call of Duty.

* * *

**_Let me know what you think. Spam that review button :D And check out my youtube channel, that would be amazing if you guys out there could help me out some.  
_**


	13. Chapter 13

**_Been a little while since I've updated this. It's not dead. It's also not going to be many more chapters. As far as an update on my back, I've had two cortisone injections, and I'm hoping to go back to work in a week. That's the only way I'm going to know whether or not it worked._**

**_For those that didn't know, I had one heavily protruding disc in my spine, and two others that were just starting to push out, they also noticed a forward shift in my spine. Which is something I'm probably going to have to worry about when I get older, but right now it's not that bad. Or, I could get lucky and it may never completely bother me. _**

**_I'm done rambling. I'm going to go record more GTA V gameplay for youtube :D (hint: link is in my profile lol ;) )  
_**

* * *

**_Help Me Help You  
Chapter 13_**

Beth started bouncing in her car seat when her mom pulled up beside Rachel's car and she spotted the brunette. "Rachy!" She leaned up to press her face against her window to try to get a better look at the girl.

Rachel's eyes lit up when she got out of her own car. She went right to the backdoor to open it up. "Hi, Beth."

"Rachy!" The girl announced again as Quinn laughed.

The blond gathered up her purse before getting out of the car. She made her way around the back to watch as Rachel unhooked her daughter from the seat. Beth stood up on her seat and practically jumped into Rachel's arms. "She absolutely loves you." Quinn bit her lip as she stepped closer to the brunette. They hadn't had a chance to discuss anything about public displays of affection. Quinn was okay with it, while scared at the same time. But she was never one to hide who she was from anybody. Being around Rachel gave her a new sense of confidence to be able to take on the world without a care.

She didn't have to wait long for an answer as Rachel leaned up on her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to Quinn's lips. "Ew, mommy, don't kiss." Beth pouted.

Rachel turned her attention to the girl in her arms with a pout of her own. "Why can't I kiss your mommy?"

The trio started making their way toward the front door. "It's icky."

"What if I kissed you?" Rachel didn't give Beth a chance to answer her before she started showering her with kisses all over her face.

Quinn started laughing when the little girl squealed and wiggled in Rachel's arms. "Kisses aren't that bad." Quinn allowed her hand to rest on the small of Rachel's back as they walked into the restaurant.

Rachel spoke briefly to the woman at the podium before the three of them were lead to a booth along the side of the restaurant. "Can we have a booster seat for her?" The brunette asked before putting Beth down on the seat and sliding in to keep her trapped against the wall.

"Of course, I'll bring one right over, ma'am."

Quinn sat across from Rachel. She knew the lunch date would consist of Beth becoming attached to her… girlfriend? She paused in her own thoughts to actually look at Rachel. Was Rachel her girlfriend? They'd only had one date so far, but Quinn already knew that she wanted to be with Rachel. Before she actually had a chance to say anything, the woman who led them to their table appeared with a booster seat for Beth. "Thank you." Rachel's words pulled Quinn out of her thoughts.

"Do you know what you want for lunch, Beth?" Quinn picked up her own menu to flip to the kids section to see what they had that she might like.

"Chicken sticks."

Rachel laughed, "what are chicken sticks?" Her question was directed toward Quinn.

"That's what she calls chicken tenders." Quinn spotted them on the menu. Once she knew Beth could get them, she started flipping through the lunch menu. "Thank you for inviting us out." Quinn peeked over the top of her menu to look into Rachel's eyes.

"Of course, Quinn." Rachel glanced around for a moment before reaching out to place her hand against Quinn's.

For the majority of their lunch, they stayed like that. Rachel with her hand on top of Quinn's except for when she had to pull away to help Beth with her own food. Quinn snickered when Beth reached for something on the table and succeeded in knocking food off of her plate. Somehow, Rachel had the patience of a saint when it came to Beth. "You're really good with her." She knew that the brunette had always been good with her daughter, but she'd never actually mentioned it before.

Rachel shrugged as she picked up the few French fries that had fallen onto the table to put them back into the plate. "I've always been like this with children. I babysat when I was younger during the summertime. Doing that helped to grow my patience."

Quinn tilted her head as she listened to the brunette across from her. "That's something I actually didn't know about you." She smiled when a soft hint of pink appeared on the girl's cheeks. "It's true, tell me something else I didn't know about you."

The brunette bit her lip for a moment before looking down at her own plate. "That night that I stayed with you, I let you pick the movie, knowing you would pick a horror… I used that as my excuse to get closer to you."

"…What?"

"And, I really wanted to kiss you when you took my phone from me."

Now it was Quinn's turn to blush and feel embarrassed. Before she could say anything, Beth started calling out to her. "Mommy, drink." She held up her empty cup to Quinn. The older blond took it from her before pulling the lid off of it.

"Honey, you still have some of your juice in here. Finish that, then I'll give you some of my tea."

"But, mommy." Beth folded her arms over her chest and pouted at her mother.

"No, you're not going to waste this." Quinn put the lid back onto the cup before placing it back in front of her daughter. She then looked back down at her plate to cut up another part of her pork chop.

"Rachy?" Beth lifted her cup to show the brunette beside her, hoping that she would give in.

"Uh, uh, no. Your mommy said to finish it first."

A smile slowly came to Quinn's lips, "least you don't undermine me like Puck likes to do."

"Well, you are her mother. Why would I go against something you said?"

"When Puck and I do spend time together with her… if I tell her no, she'll run to him and he'll tell her yes." She glanced at Beth before continuing, "now that I'm with you, she'll lean quickly that she can't run to you just because I told her no."

Rachel froze at Quinn's words, "you want to be with me?"

Quinn blushed, she hadn't meant to let those specific words slip out of her mouth. "I… well… if you want to be."

Rachel reached across the table to take Quinn's hand in her own and smiled. "I would love to be with you, Quinn."

"Mommy, more." Beth held out her cup again, before Quinn could grab it, Rachel took it in her own hands and popped the top off of it.

"Good job, Beth." Rachel moved the straw in her own glass aside and poured some of her tea into the cup for the girl. She noticed Quinn's eyes on her as she did so. When she popped the lid back into the cup and handed it back to the young blond, she turned back to Quinn, "what?"

"Not used to someone so willing to help out." She smiled softly. She did get help from Puck and her mom, but it would be odd for her to have help during the week when she wasn't at school.

"I always help out with Beth, though." Rachel picked up her fork to stab at a piece of her salad to take a bite.

It was true, Quinn thought. Rachel always did help out with her daughter whenever she was around. It was something she hadn't really thought of much before their first date. Now that they were out again, she took a moment to actually notice everything Rachel had done to help her out over Beth's two years of life.

XXXXXX

"She's finally asleep."

"Thank you for singing to her, Rach." Quinn spoke from her place on the sofa. She was leaning against the armrest with her legs curled under her as she idly played one of the video games she'd borrowed from Puck. It wasn't really her thing, but the idea of killing people always seemed to relax her.

"I love the opportunity to preform, even if it is for a two year old." Rachel's arms folded across her chest as she looked at the TV that the blond was fixated on, "what in the world are you playing?"

Quinn looked up at the brunette before straightening out her legs and patting the spot on the sofa between them. "Some game Puck let me borrow." Rachel eyed her funny before taking the spot anyway and leaning her back against Quinn's front. "Do you want to try?"

"I don't even know what it is, Quinn."

"It's called Prototype. You're basically this person who's been infected with something and get all these cool powers." Quinn shrugged as she changed her weapon to a sword and started slicing through people.

"It's so violent." Rachel winced at the amount of animated blood that covered the screen. She shook her head when Quinn offered her the controller. Instead, she simply opted for having the blonde's arms wrapped around her as she continued playing the game.

The young mother couldn't help but laugh at the girl that was leaning against her. "It's just a video game."

"You say that about movies too."

"Give it a shot?" Quinn tilted her head to the side to actually look at Rachel. When the brunette started to shake her head, Quinn allowed her bottom lip to jut out in a pout.

"Oh my goodness, fine. What do I have to do?" She shivered when Quinn's hands covered hers to show her the best way to hold the controller. She was barely able to listen as she told her each of the controls, she loved being this close to Quinn. She always had, but there was something different about it lately.

Quinn kept her hands on top of Rachel's as she unpaused the game. "Just go on rampages like I do. Trust me, it's a great stress reliever." She helped to guide Rachel's fingers to the buttons until she felt the diva getting the hang of it.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Rachel winced as she sliced an unsuspecting person in half. Quinn couldn't help but crack up laughing at her. "Don't laugh at me, Quinn Fabray!" She squeaked when her screen flashed red, indicating that she was being shot at. "Help me!"

"Just kill the police."

"Kill the police? Are you mad?" She squeaked again when she saw the guy on screen fall to the ground. "What happened?"

"You died, Rachel." Quinn continued chuckling at the brunette. She leaned closer to her to rest her chin on Rachel's shoulder to look down at the controller. "Don't be afraid to kill the cops."

"I'm not killing the cops!" She turned her head to look at Quinn when she started to giggle. It was a sound she didn't hear that often, and loved whenever she did. "What is so funny?"

"You are," Quinn whispered. "You're funny, and adorable." Quinn's eyes searched Rachel's for a moment before she leaned in to capture her lips.

The controller forgotten on her lap, Rachel twisted her body just a little bit to the left to get a better angle. She brought her hand up to grasp the back of Quinn's neck to pull her in closer. She exhaled heavily through her nose when she felt Quinn's head turn to the side, and her tongue slowly come out to tease at her lips. She couldn't deny it access. A moan left her throat when their tongues touched for the very first time. Rachel felt a chill run down her spine when Quinn's fingers ghosted across her jaw. When the need for air started to overtake her senses, she reluctantly pulled away. Her eyes slowly opened as she placed her forehead against Quinn's.

"Damn," Quinn whispered with a soft laugh.

"I agree," Rachel was still attempting to catch her breath.

The blond leaned in again for a slower, yet deeper kiss. "It's nice to not be interrupted." Her voice was still soft as she continued to share soft, consecutive kisses with the shorter girl in her arms.

"It definitely is." Rachel agreed before shifting around to fully face the blond before relaxing into her arms. "Let's watch a movie."

Quinn reached around Rachel to grab the controller. She was definitely okay with just relaxing with the girl to watch a movie. "What are you in the mood for?" She ended the game and scrolled over to Netflix as she leaned back against the armrest. Her arms came to rest around Rachel's body as she started scrolling through the movies that were available.

"Surprise me. Just, please, Quinn… no horror."

The blond laughed softly before placing a soft kiss to the top of Rachel's head. After spending a few minutes she ended up on Imagine Me and You. She placed her hands on Rachel's hips and kept her close as the movie started.

Rachel twisted her head to look at the blond once the movie was over. A smile overtook her face when she realized Quinn was asleep. It was rare for her to be the one to fall asleep during a movie they watched. Rachel took a moment to examine her features, something she found herself doing over the duration of their friendship. Even before that, she would watch Quinn in the hallways at school. She would be stupid to try to say that she didn't find the young woman absolutely breathtaking. Without thinking, she started peppering kisses along the blonde's jawline.

"Mm, Rach?" Quinn whispered as she started coming out of her slumber.

The brunette's hand slid along Quinn's arm, then shoulder, then up onto her neck as she leaned in to kiss her slowly. She whimpered softly when she felt Quinn's fingers run through her own hair, pulling her in closer.

"That's a great way to wake up." Quinn smirked softly.

"I figured you might want to move to your room before I left. You've slept on the sofa before and your neck killed you for three days after that." Rachel slowly started to sit up.

"You're leaving?" Quinn sounded sad as she pushed herself upright, effectively getting back into Rachel's personal space as she did that.

"Dance class in the morning." Rachel placed her hand on Quinn's cheek. "I'll ask my dads if you and Beth can come over for dinner tomorrow night, if that would be alright?"

"I'd like that, and I know Beth would too, she hasn't seen them in so long."

"Well…" she started off softly as she moved closer to the taller girl, "with us being together now, she'll get to see them more."

Quinn turned her head away for a moment as if she was thinking, "Rachel Berry as my girlfriend…" she looked back at the brunette, "I like the sound of that."

Rachel giggled, "Quinn Fabray as my girlfriend… If someone told me two years ago that I would be sitting here right now, with your arms around me and sharing kisses, I would have lectured them for the fabrication of such false stories." Quinn cracked up laughing before she nodded. "But, I'm glad things are working out the way they are."

"Me too." Quinn agreed before pulling Rachel up with her. "We could stay up and talk all night, but you have a dance class in the morning."

"Are you kicking me out?"

"No! Of course not." Quinn quickly defended. But calmed down as soon as the shorter girl started laughing. "You're horrible."

"You love it." Rachel's arms came up around the blonde's neck before pulling her down for a few soft, short kisses.

Quinn loved Rachel, she was fully realizing it with each passing moment she spent with her. But, she couldn't say it to the girl in her arms, not yet at least. It was definitely too soon for any of that. "Text me when you get home." It was more of a demand rather than a request.

Rachel shook her head before stealing one more kiss then opening the door. "Don't I always? I'll talk to you later, Quinn. Have a good night."

"Good night, Rachel." Quinn stood by the door to watch her girlfriend walk toward the steps. With a happy sigh, she closed and locked the door. She picked up the controller from the table to shut off the system, then placed it on top of her Xbox. Quinn couldn't hide the smile that completely took over as the events of the evening finally started to set in. Rachel Berry was her girlfriend. Slowly, she started turning the lights in her apartment off before going to her bedroom.

Then it dawned on her, how would they react when they went back to school on Monday. It was quickly turning into the best weekend of Quinn's young life, with exception of the Saturday night when Beth was born, but it would have to come to an end. School was rapidly approaching and she had to talk to Rachel about whether or not they'd be open, or keep it quiet for a little while. If Quinn were to be honest with herself, she didn't care either way. She'd built up a tough skin at that school, nothing affected her the way it used to. She knew she was surrounded by a lot of closed-minded jackasses every day at McKinley. But, she didn't know how Rachel would want to approach things.

It was definitely something they'd have to discuss over dinner the next evening.

* * *

**_Hopefully I haven't lost every reader I had gained with this story. If you're still here, thank you so much for being patient with me :D _**


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